Christmas shopping can be a tense part of the holiday season, from making sure parents can afford to get the children gifts to helping children choose gifts for their loved ones — and finding a way to pay for those as well.

If children you know would like to get a gift for their parent or guardian and money is an issue, there’s help available. The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of McKean County is holding Elf Land, “a place where children can go Christmas shopping.”

Family Advocate Tonia Hartzell explained that the effort is an off-shoot of another project she oversees.

“During my personal time, I do a Cleaning out your Closets project, and a lot of different donations come through that,” she said. “I set aside things that could be smaller, nice gifts that kids could pick out.”

Any children in the area are welcome to come to the CAC office, located at 424 W. Main Street, Smethport during specified times on four different days:

Dec. 10 from 3:30 — 5:30 p.m.; Dec. 11 from 3:30 — 5:30 p.m.; Dec. 17 from 4 — 6 p.m. and Dec. 18 from 4 — 6 p.m.

During the visit, the children can pick out a gift for a parent or guardian at no cost. Then, wrapping will commence.

“We will wrap or help the kids wrap things,” Hartzell said.

For anyone who has children who would like to participate but cannot make it during the scheduled times, Hartzell can be reached at 887-3486 to schedule another time to visit.

“Since it’s only two hours each day, whether it is work schedules (interfering) or if someone else has to bring the kids in, we can schedule another time during the day, weekend or evening — whatever works,” she said.

Hartzell noted the CAC held a smaller version of this effort last year, allowing children who were already visiting the center to choose gifts for a caregiver. This year, they hope to help more children choose a gift for a loved one.

Hartzell noted that the project has a stocked inventory for this year, but the CAC is happy to take donations from anyone who would like to contribute, as they hope to continue holding Elf Land for future holiday seasons.