Caring Tree 2022
The Christmas Season is fast approaching, and Eastminster Presbyterian Church is planning for the Caring Tree outreach and is requesting designated donations for this project.**
2021 Report
Last year, due to the impact of Covid, instead of buying, wrapping, and delivering gifts, Eastminster provided gift cards to local elementary school families so that parents could have the joy of Christmas shopping for their own children. School counselors at Brockett and Smoke Rise Elementary contacted families and acted as the middle man between EPC and families. Through your generous donations, Eastminster was able to provide fifty Walmart gift cards for parents to purchase clothing and toys for each of their children. Kroger gift cards for household items were also provided for some families as well.
Alongside of the school partnership, twelve residents at Mountain View Personal Care Home received clothes and gifts that Eastminister volunteers provided based on size information from the facility. Gifts were delivered to the care home the week of Christmas.
Also, Eastminster sent 25% of the total donations given for the Caring Tree to Friends of Refugees (FoR) for their Holiday Christmas Store at Indian Creek Elementary School. These funds helped FoR purchase new coats and toys for the Christmas store where refugee parents purchased these items at minimum cost. Proceeds went to the school’s PTA to provide enhanced educational opportunities for the children. New coats and toys dropped off at EPC's Clothes Closet were delivered to the Clarkston staging location for the event.
2022 Plans
The Outreach Committee is excited to partner with the care home and schools again this year! School counselors at Brockett and Smoke Rise elementary schools are already contacting familes. The goal is to give Walmart and Kroger gift cards to 15 families; five from each school. Contact: Mary Ann Howard (770) 823-8862 or Linda Redman (678) 360-6942.
The administrator of Mountain View Personal Care Home has provide us with the clothing needs and sizes for its 9 residents. Volunteers who want to shop for this Caring Tree location should purchase, wrap and deliver gifts to Sally McMillan by December 11th. Contact: Sally McMillan for specific information.(404) 713-2515
New this year, we plan to share the Caring Tree outreach with two Columbia seminary students from Africa and their families. This includes six children and four adults living far from their home country. (Pictures of these pastors were in a recent Witness as EPC helped them move into their new home near campus.)
* * DONATIONS are needed by Sunday, November 27th in order to purchase gift cards and deliver them to school counselors before the start of the schools’ Winter Break. Checks can be placed in the offering or sent to the church office. Please note Caring Tree donation on checks. Thank you for your contributions to the Caring Tree outreach.