Christmas Sharing Tree 2020 is Here!
FROM: Jennifer Burkhardt, Parish Outreach Coordinator
Dear St. Margaret’s Family,
As the holidays are quickly approaching, I am reaching out to you regarding our annual Sharing Tree Outreach effort for this year. Like most things this year, COVID has led us to change how we are approaching this year’s Sharing Tree, and we are leaning into the new way that the Spirit is leading us to serve our community. Here are the new plans for the Sharing Tree for this year.
- While most of us have gotten used to shopping for gifts for our Sharing Tree families, we recognize that this is not a safe option at this time. To enable us to still serve our families, we are switching to purchasing gift cards this year for both wish list items and grocery items, as they can be purchased with much less contact and exposure than normal gift shopping.
- The biggest change this year is that rather than asking our parish members to shop for and deliver gifts and pantry staples to the church, we are asking for monetary donations to be sent to the church instead for the purchase of the GIFT CARDS. Please give what you feel the Spirit is calling you to.
- In non-COVID years, the families have picked up their gifts, along with boxes containing pantry staples, nonperishable holiday meal items, and a gift card for perishable meal items for the holiday, at the church on a Sunday after services. In the interest of keeping everyone safe and healthy this year, I will instead deliver the gathered gift cards for the families to the Home & School Visitor early in the week of December 14th and she will arrange delivery to the families.
- To accommodate this compact schedule, all donations should be sent to the church no later than December 4th.
Please make the check out to the church, and clearly note in the memo line “OUTREACH – SHARING TREE” so that we can track donations correctly and have an accurate idea of how much we have to spend.
- We are planning on ordering as many of the gift cards as possible through Scrip so that your donations will “do good” twice. There will, of course, be a need for us to purchase some gift cards locally, and there are some specific needs for one family that will need to be purchased locally as well.
If you might be willing to help with a limited amount of shopping the week of December 6th, or if you have any QUESTIONS, please reach out to Jen Burkhardt. If you do not have my contact information, please reach out via the Website Contact Form, St. Margaret’s Facebook Page, or contact Rev. Jane.
If you don’t reach me immediately, please be patient, and I will respond as soon as I am able once I have finished my workday. The only evenings that I am not available to take or return calls are Monday and Tuesday, as I have classes those nights.
I am keeping you all in my prayers, and am looking forward to seeing what the Holy Spirit will do working through this amazing, Faith-full community this Christmas.
Blessings,
Jennifer Burkhardt
Parish Outreach Coordinator