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THE GIVING TREE: Helping Families in Our Community Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is right around the corner, and we are preparing our hearts and our homes for the birth of Christ. We must also look to our neighbors in need, and this year, our parish is continuing our longstanding tradition of the Giving Tree.
“We are so blessed in our lives and giving back is part of our DNA,” says Carmy Baca, chair of the Pastoral Council.
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While this ministry has been at the heart of our Christmas celebration for a long time, it will look a little different from previous years. We’ve all been surprised when we’ve found a new and better way of doing something, especially in the face of the challenges we’ve encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic — the Giving Tree Ministry is one strong example of that. Instead of having a tree with tags on it set up at the church, the Giving Tree has moved online. This will make it easier for you and your family to sign up and keep track of the gifts that you will purchase.
Last year, many families took this opportunity to safely get together, buy gifts for an entire family and wrap them, while enjoying fellowship together in a time when opportunities for fellowship were fewer.
“Families were able to get together, be safe, and give back,” Carmy says.
Instead of taking a tag for one member of a family, you will be able to sign up to take charge of one entire family and coordinate with as many other people as you need to in order to purchase their gifts. The online system helps ensure that no one is missed, tags won’t be lost, and that children within a family get the same number of presents.
In the past, it would take a whole team of volunteers an entire day to organize and label all of the gifts. Now, parishioners will bring their gifts back bagged, labeled, and ready for distribution to the families. This ensures the safety of everyone involved.
Last year, Carmy was taken aback by how quickly the parish rose to the challenge.
“As soon as it hit the site, all of our families were chosen within three days,” Carmy says. “They asked if there were more or if there was something they could do. I saw people hungry to help.”
This year, longtime parishioners Peggy and Dale Stradford have volunteered to take charge of the program, ensuring that it goes even more smoothly than before.
“For all the gifts that we have in our lives, it’s important for all of us to be a part of a ministry that helps people,” Carmy says. “That’s what we’re here for. That’s what Jesus did.”
Last year, the parish helped 50 families celebrate Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of our parish, 117 adults and 158 children were able to open presents on Christmas morning. Let’s rise to the occasion this year and bring joy to our neighbors on Christmas Day.
“No one should ever be without on Christmas,” Carmy says.
Christmas is right around the corner, and we are preparing our hearts and our homes for the birth of Christ. We must also look to our neighbors in need, and this year, our parish is continuing our longstanding tradition of the Giving Tree.
