A Naperville business is getting in the holiday spirit early with an initiative to support local organizations.
Waident Technology Solutions, 1809 N. Mill St., Suite A, has invited five area groups to pick out items free of charge at its inaugural Givemas event on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon.
“We got lots of kids items, some toys, car seats, a bunch of furniture…it’s a whole host of different things that people would want,” said John Ahlberg, CEO of Waident Technology Solutions.
What groups will benefit from Givemas?
The Givemas guests will include Indian Prairie School District 204, Loaves and Fishes Community Services, KidsMatter, Community Access Naperville, and Journeys | The Road Home, a homeless shelter in Palatine.
If gifts are left over after the organizations come through…
“We expect then families can come in and get things,” Ahlberg said.
Ahlberg and another Waident employee recently drove to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to pick up the Givemas presents, which consist of overstock items in bulk.
“It’s hundreds and hundreds (of boxes),” Ahlberg said. “Let’s just say it filled up a truck.”
Ahlberg came up with the idea for Givemas last year after he purchased Amazon return pallets for a company holiday event.
“A bunch of people got gaming computer pieces, monitors, and vacuums, so it was fun,” said Ahlberg. “I always like to take the idea and go, ‘Okay, how can I make it bigger and better?’”
Givemas to be held at Waident’s workshop
To get in the Givemas spirit, Waident employees transformed an adjacent property into a winter wonderland.
“Our office isn’t big enough for all of this,” said Ahlberg. “The landlord has this empty space, and he’s like, ‘Sure, you can have it for a month or so to go do this Givemas pop-up store for everyone to come into,’ and it’s right across from our office… Hopefully (we’ll) have fun, we’ll have a good Givemas, and make some people happy,” said Ahlberg.
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