What is Christmas Box Project?
At the beginning of December, we wrap up lots and lots of presents for families in our area. The work gets started much earlier, though!
St. Mary's Christmas Box Project provides a little Christmas cheer for 40 to fifty families who participate in Bell-Whitley Headstart Program. These folks are pre-screened for low income and children in the home, so we know the parcels go where they are needed. The families we serve are the neediest 10% of the 400 families in the entire program, none of whom are prospering.
Each family receives a food parcel, prepared by a local grocery store. St. Mary's raises the funds for these parcels, which run about $1200 each year, with help from our partner church Trinity, Covington, and from the Diocesan Truth and Justice Commission. We'll always need and use more funds, if you want to send us a check!
We also pack a gift box for each child in these families. We have members of our parish who shop for bargains for the gift boxes throughout the year. Sometimes we have a big shopping trip on the morning of Wrapping Day to get anything else we need. We turn our Guild Hall into a massive present-wrapping operation, and end Wrapping Day by driving several car-loads of presents up to Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency for distribution to the families.
What was Christmas Box Project 2015 like?
Last year we had 80 children to provide gifts for from our 40 families.The age/gender breakdown was as follows:
Boys ages NB-1= 2
Girls ages NB-1=7
Boys age 1= 6
Girls age 1== 5
Boys age 2=8
Girls age 2=4
Boys age 3=10
Girls age 3= 5
Boys age 4= 3
Girls age 4= 6
Boys age 5= 2
Girls age 5= 1
Boys age 6= 3
Girls age 6= none
Boys age 7= none
Girls age 7= 3
Boys age 8= 5
Girls age 8= none
Boys age 9= none
Girls age 9= 2
Boys age 10= 1
Girls age 10= 1
Boys age 11= 1
Girls age 11= 1
No children age 12, 13, or 14
Boys age 15= 1
Girls age 15= 1
Boys age 16= 1
Girls age 16= none
Boys age 17=1
Girls age 17= none
As you can see, more than half (47 out of 80) of our children were of age 3 and under. Therefore, we needed lots of little baby things. There were twin boys included in the 2 y/o category. The middle-sized kids (ages 4-8) were 23 out of 80. Big kids (ages 9-13) were only 6 out of 80. We had only 4 teenagers, 3 boys and 1 girl. I have sizes for each child's clothing.
We remain grateful for the generous contributions of J. Frank White Academy and look forward this holiday season to continuing our partnership.
Should you wish to contribute a financial gift of any amount to the Christmas Box Project, alms may be given at the Offertory on Sunday mornings, or by mailing support to the following:
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 744
Middlesboro, KY 40965
attn: Sue Granger, Parish Treasurer
Please designate "Christmas Box Project" in the memo line of checks.
St. Mary's Christmas Box Project provides a little Christmas cheer for 40 to fifty families who participate in Bell-Whitley Headstart Program. These folks are pre-screened for low income and children in the home, so we know the parcels go where they are needed. The families we serve are the neediest 10% of the 400 families in the entire program, none of whom are prospering.
Each family receives a food parcel, prepared by a local grocery store. St. Mary's raises the funds for these parcels, which run about $1200 each year, with help from our partner church Trinity, Covington, and from the Diocesan Truth and Justice Commission. We'll always need and use more funds, if you want to send us a check!
We also pack a gift box for each child in these families. We have members of our parish who shop for bargains for the gift boxes throughout the year. Sometimes we have a big shopping trip on the morning of Wrapping Day to get anything else we need. We turn our Guild Hall into a massive present-wrapping operation, and end Wrapping Day by driving several car-loads of presents up to Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency for distribution to the families.
What was Christmas Box Project 2015 like?
Last year we had 80 children to provide gifts for from our 40 families.The age/gender breakdown was as follows:
Boys ages NB-1= 2
Girls ages NB-1=7
Boys age 1= 6
Girls age 1== 5
Boys age 2=8
Girls age 2=4
Boys age 3=10
Girls age 3= 5
Boys age 4= 3
Girls age 4= 6
Boys age 5= 2
Girls age 5= 1
Boys age 6= 3
Girls age 6= none
Boys age 7= none
Girls age 7= 3
Boys age 8= 5
Girls age 8= none
Boys age 9= none
Girls age 9= 2
Boys age 10= 1
Girls age 10= 1
Boys age 11= 1
Girls age 11= 1
No children age 12, 13, or 14
Boys age 15= 1
Girls age 15= 1
Boys age 16= 1
Girls age 16= none
Boys age 17=1
Girls age 17= none
As you can see, more than half (47 out of 80) of our children were of age 3 and under. Therefore, we needed lots of little baby things. There were twin boys included in the 2 y/o category. The middle-sized kids (ages 4-8) were 23 out of 80. Big kids (ages 9-13) were only 6 out of 80. We had only 4 teenagers, 3 boys and 1 girl. I have sizes for each child's clothing.
We remain grateful for the generous contributions of J. Frank White Academy and look forward this holiday season to continuing our partnership.
Should you wish to contribute a financial gift of any amount to the Christmas Box Project, alms may be given at the Offertory on Sunday mornings, or by mailing support to the following:
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 744
Middlesboro, KY 40965
attn: Sue Granger, Parish Treasurer
Please designate "Christmas Box Project" in the memo line of checks.
|
|
|
How might I help?
- Give money | Between the food parcels and the toys that we purchase, the Christmas Box Project costs about $1700 each year. You can mail in a check, or bring it to church.
- Buy presents and clothing | We especially need winter clothing (especially caps, socks, gloves, mittens, scarves, coats and jackets), toys and games, balls and dolls, school supplies, arts and crafts materials, building blocks, "dress up" items for imaginative play, tiny baby items such as bibs and booties, teething rings, tub toys, and really about anything else a kid would enjoy. We serve kids ages newborn to 18.
- Please don't give us books | We are usually able to receive books from our partnership with the Children's Reading Foundation of Appalachia.
- Come and help on Wrapping Day | Help with the Last Minute Shopping Trip to pick up the rest of the toys we need. Help with the boxing and wrapping. Help feed the volunteers. Help drive all the wrapped presents up to Pineville at the end of the day.
