Food baskets and gifts
The Outreach Committee will again be distributing Christmas Food Baskets this year to 55 families and Christmas gifts to their children. On average we spend about $85-$90 for food for each family and provide enough food for a week. The gifts are for the families’ children under age 18.
There are four ways you can help:
Donations—Please use the envelopes in your pews or on the table in the Narthex for your donation. If you write a check, please write “Food Baskets” in the memo line.
Buy a Gift for a Child—You can select a child from the Christmas Gift List in the Great Hall. Each child will have a card with his or her name, age, gender, and gift wishes on it. Gifts should be about $25 in value. Wrapped gifts must be returned to the church no later than Wednesday, noon, December 14.
Set-up—We will be getting everything (tables, food, boxes, gifts, etc,) ready on Thursday, Dec. 15 from 1-4pm and 6:30-9pm and, if needed, Friday, Dec. 16 from 10am-noon in the Great Hall.
Packing and Distributing Food Baskets—Packing and distributing will occur on Saturday, December 17, from 9:00am-2:00pm in the Great Hall. All are welcome for whatever time you can give. We need people to pack and deliver food baskets.
If you have any questions, please contact Jerry Williams or Sharon Phipps. Thank you, in advance, for giving generously of your time and money so that we can extend God’s love to these families.
Outreach activities
Packing for the Food Baskets will take place on December 17. It is a day that can be trying and exhausting, but it is exhilarating, too. It has been a few years since I helped pack, so this year to encourage more participation, I told Sharon that I would provide lunch that day for the help! Come, help pack the baskets, see in person the joy the families express, and enjoy lunch! Talk to Jerry Williams or Sharon Phipps for more information about the time you need to be there in the morning to help pack! Andi Flitton
Hat & Mitten Tree
With old man winter breathing down our necks, it is not too soon to start thinking about -donations for the annual “Hat and Mitten Tree”. The tree will be up by early December. Donations of hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, socks, fleece throws, any kind of warm winter clothing, will be accepted. All donations will be taken to the Lansing Rescue Mission before Christmas. items can be found at most any store. The dollar stores have some very nice scarves, hats, mittens, and gloves, for only a dollar. And there are lots of pre-holiday sales elsewhere. Please help us make the holidays, and this winter, a warm one for those less fortunate.
Toiletry and Personal Items Needed
The Outreach Committee is in need of donations of “personal needs” items of any kind. This would include soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoos, combs, brushes, etc. could also use the small sample sized items that are supplied with hotel/motel rooms. All items must be new and unused.
Please put all donations in the blue tote supplied for this in the mailroom. The Committee includes these items in personal needs bags for the families we supply food baskets to at Christmas. Thank you.
Rescue Mission Barrel – “Help Pack the Pantry”
The Lansing Rescue Mission is once again holding their holiday barrel drive to help “pack the pantry”. The Mission will provide an estimated 112,000 meals this year to men, women, and children in Michigan’s capital area. They also have a pantry to distribute boxes of food to low income individuals and families; and this service is only available as long as they have enough food supplies. Currently, there is a great need for food. We can help pack the Mission pantry with non-perishable food items to supply these meals and food boxes during the holidays and into the following year. Any non-perishable food items are welcome. However, the Rescue Mission is in particular need of fruits and vegetables, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, elbow macaroni, wide noodles, and rice. Please help to fill the barrel and help those less fortunate this holiday season.
