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The setting was merely a modest, single-story community center 鈥� far from the North Pole. But that made little difference to the children gathered around a 9-foot-tall Christmas tree to receive gifts from Santa.

The event, which took place earlier this month, is an annual tradition for Turner Construction‘s Portland office. Employees joined with Impact Northwest staffers to serve families in need at the nonprofit’s Brentwood-Darlington Community Center in Southeast Portland. The construction company received wish lists, and then employees went shopping. Gifts were presented to the children as part of a dinner event.

鈥淲e’re in our fifth year now collaborating with Impact Northwest to host a party for different families that are in need,鈥� said Nicole Menchaca, director of marketing for Turner’s Portland office. 鈥淥ur staff really likes to donate their time as well as just donating items. We start in November and have a wish list for each family and we ask them to get really specific.鈥�

On the night of the event, Turner employees first met with Impact Northwest staffers and then helped add the final decorative touches.

鈥淲e’re all here basically to help set up and do whatever we can to help make this a fun and easy process for all the families that are involved,鈥� said Gina Coplon, a Turner project manager. 鈥淪o, obviously, there’s a cookie decorating table 鈥� things to keep the kids busy. We’ve got arts and crafts, and we brought catering in as well.鈥�

For Impact Northwest, like most nonprofits, volunteers make a significant difference in how much they can do for families in need.

鈥淚t’s a huge impact,鈥� said Ada Dortsch, the organization’s director of development. 鈥淭urner is a big partner during the holidays, but we also partner with the tech community. For example, we have this initiative where we put hygiene items together for people living on the streets, so we’re really working with the tech community to do that. We’re always asking what are the industries in Portland and how can we connect with them.鈥�

Impact Northwest serves more than 30,000 people annually in the Portland-metro area. That makes it difficult for Dortsch and her staff to cull a manageable number of guests. For the Christmas event involving Turner volunteers, party attendees came from the Safe and Together program, which is geared to reunite children in foster care with their parents. It started at Impact Northwest’s Richmond Place 鈥� a 20-unit affordable housing complex in Southeast Portland 鈥� and eventually moved to the community center.

鈥淭hey reach out to us every holiday season and say they want to throw this holiday party for our families through our Safe and Together program,鈥� Dortsch said. 鈥淚t’s for families that don’t have the resources during the holidays, or are using their resources for other areas of their lives, so it’s just an opportunity to connect them with some holiday cheer and a season of giving.鈥�

Nearly a dozen Turner employees gathered at the community center to decorate the space, serve food, organize gifts, set up the Christmas tree and more. Finally, senior project manager Bruce Reid made his entrance as Santa for the third straight year and handed out the gifts.

鈥淭he first year, people were a little nervous,鈥� marketing associate Ashley Dichirico recounted. 鈥淭he families were kind of curious, but it was fun once we kept returning each year. It just brings us together and it’s a fun event to look forward to.鈥�