E Squared Elves

E Squared Elves E Squared Elves is a gift-giving organization created in honor of Ellen Gilbert.

Happy Holidays! We finished our fourth and last delivery on the 23rd. We owe a massive thank you to many people. We deli...
12/31/2025

Happy Holidays! We finished our fourth and last delivery on the 23rd. We owe a massive thank you to many people. We delivered gifts to over 515 kids this year at four local Boys and Girls Club locations: Blackhawk, Carlson, Flodin, and Stenstrom. The kids and teens were overjoyed, and we are grateful to be doing this project in Ellen Gilbert's honor for four years. This year, it took many hands to put the gifts together, and we especially want to thank Don and Denise Roloff, Gay Rotello, Jennifer Roloff Welch, Kathy Lewandowski, Camren Lewandowski, and Ryan Welch. We are grateful for everyone who donated to our project this year. This list has grown exponentially each year. Donors include Love, Ellen Inc., John and Diantha Gilbert, Don and Denise Roloff, Erica Moore Schwartz, Kathy Lewandowski, Sue Owens Needham, Dawn Ruscitti Thomas, Kathy and John Alexander, Juliette Strombeck and family, Charlie and Lisa Alexander, Brian Thiede and family, Becky Hybarger Zehe, Emily Rotello Drennan, Michelle Rotert, Mindy Stevens, Cathy Phillips, Chris Meiter and Joann Heck Meiter, Tori Davidson, Tiffany Goellner Bowers, Deb Galluzzo, and Jenni, Ellie, and Ryan Welch. If we have inadvertently left anyone off this list, we will correct it as soon as we can. Thank you to the Boys and Girls Clubs across Rockford for allowing us to spread Ellen's light and love.

11/29/2025

Hi everyone! Happy belated Thanksgiving 🦃 ! We are so thankful for another year of support from our community, family, and friends to complete another year (year 4!!) of our winter holiday gift drive. We started wrapping up gifts today! Thank you to everyone who has donated to our project or offered us well wishes. We would never be able to complete such a meaningful task without you all. We wrapped around 250-300 gifts today. This year we are donating to 4 local Boys and Girls’ Clubs aftercare programs in the Rockford area. This year we are collecting gifts for 505 kids. Ages of the recipients range from 5-16 years old.

We could use more donations for our teens if you are willing to help. We have 20 more teens to prepare gifts for. Warm items (gloves, hats, blankets, ear muffs, etc), journals, pens, or anything else you think a teen might enjoy would be greatly appreciated. The need is greater, but unfortunately prices are higher. We could use more blankets, which are on sale for $4.22 at Walmart. We could use as many as possible. While we had many donations this year, we were unable to buy as many blankets as we needed to. Thank you so much again to everyone who has helped us. We are still in need of a few more items, but almost all of the gifts we need for this year are collected and/or wrapped! E Squared Elves would not exist without the help of so many of you. We are so excited to give these gifts to the clubs next month. We will be sure to share pictures of our gifts. If you are willing to make a last minute donation, please let me know. I have venmo, cashapp, or Apple Pay, otherwise porch drop offs are always accepted and appreciated. Because I am heading back to school on Sunday, the last day to make a monetary donation would be tomorrow night, but porch drop offs are welcome all of this week. Thank you so much ❤️

The winter holiday toy drive is coming along great! We’ve received so many incredible donations. This year we get to inc...
08/26/2025

The winter holiday toy drive is coming along great! We’ve received so many incredible donations. This year we get to include books in our gift baskets! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us in our collection so far. We’re beyond thrilled to have as much as we do already! If you are looking to donate any toys, stuffed animals, crayons, or other art supplies we would be overjoyed to receive them! Shoot me a message if you’re interested! Thank you so much everyone!

08/09/2025

Last year we were able to give out 683 gifts to our local Boys and Girls clubs, including Blackhawk, Flodin, Carlson, and Stenstrom (previously Fairview).
The year before we were able to give out over 600. Our first year we donated to two clubs, with over 400 gifts given.

Every year our gift count has increased as well as a growth in kids needing gifts. One club told us in some instances families were afraid that their kids would get no gifts. Also, we have been told that from year to year the kids remember the gifts and often bring stuffed animals and other gifts with them to the club. For example, for one stuffed animal day at the club, some children brought the Squishmallows we had given them in year 1.

We try to provide at least one item of warmth (blanket, gloves, hats, socks), a fun toy, school supplies, books, social/emotional items (journals, gel pens, stress relievers) and we always give hot chocolate, candy canes, and last year we found Mario and Luigi fruit snacks. This was special because Ellen and I dressed as them for Halloween. All of the gifts that we give are to share my love for Ellen and to share Ellen’s light.

Currently we are in need of bulk Squishmallows, bulk car toys, and bulk warmth items, like socks, hats, gloves, and blankets. We are beyond grateful for the support we receive each year. Without your help and donations, we would not be able to accomplish what we do.

Thank you for helping us every year in our aim to provide light and fun for kids during the Christmas season in honor of Ellen.

We’re taking donations of clean stuffed animals! Here are some that we have received lately! They’re super cute! Thank y...
08/09/2025

We’re taking donations of clean stuffed animals! Here are some that we have received lately! They’re super cute! Thank you to everyone who has donated!

This is our Amazon wishlist! Any donations or recommendations are very much appreciated! Thank you to everyone who has h...
08/08/2025

This is our Amazon wishlist! Any donations or recommendations are very much appreciated! Thank you to everyone who has helped so far. ❤️❤️

Here are some pics from the last couple Christmas drop offs! Each year’s gift amount increases! We were able to donate t...
07/26/2025

Here are some pics from the last couple Christmas drop offs! Each year’s gift amount increases! We were able to donate to 4 Boys and Girls Clubs last year, including Carlson, Flodin, Stenstrom, and Blackhawk Boys and Girls Club. The gifts go to kids and teens in after care.

07/26/2025

E Squared Elves is a gift-giving organization started by Ellie Welch in honor of Ellen Gilbert. Each winter we raise money to buy gifts to provide to multiple Boys and Girls Clubs in the Rockford region! Last year we were able to give out close to 700 gifts. We are very blessed and grateful to be able to do this since 2022. Many people lately have been donating books, toys, blankets, gloves, and other fun items for these children and teens. We hope to be able to beat last year’s record this year. Thank you so much to everyone who has offered us support these last few years!

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Rockford, IL

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