Local groups have set up holiday trees around the region that allow you to take a tag off the tree and help a needy family. Take the time to find a tree and be generous this holiday season.
MOUNTAINSTAR GIVING TREE PROGRAM
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is very excited to announce the giving tree program is in full swing for the holidays, with the goal of granting wishes to 108 children and families MountainStar serves. MountainStar requests all gifts be delivered by December 9 to its facility at 2125 NE Daggett Lane in Bend, where they will be wrapped and delivered to families just in time for the holidays.
How it works? Children and families, who wouldn’t otherwise receive gifts for the holidays, create wish lists of clothes, toys, and essentials. Star ornaments are created for each person with their wish list on the back of the star and hung on a giving tree at several local businesses and at MountainStar. We are pleased to announce the stars have been delivered to all participating businesses and organizations, some of which are internal and some are open to the public to get involved.
Following is a list of giving tree locations open to the public to participate:
Salon Envy, 70 SW Century Drive #160, Bend
Celadon, 265 Northwest Franklin Avenue, Bend
The Cutting Club, 1335 NW Galveston Ave # 2, Bend
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery, 2125 Northeast Daggett Lane, Bend
Other organizations involved include BendBroadband, Bend Ophthalmology, Bend Surgery Center, Church of the Nazarene, and Higher Ground.
www.mountainstarfamily.org or 541-322-6820.
ROTARY TREE OF JOY
Local Rotary Clubs in Tree of Joy can be found at Santa Land in the Old Mill District between Jimmy John’s and Desperado.
The Tree of Joy offers a chance to buy presents for children and seniors in the Bend and LaPine areas who are unable to experience a joyful holiday without local contributor’s generosity. The program has become a tradition for many Central Oregonians as they find ways to give directly to others during the holidays.
The effort begins with the Salvation Army, which processes Christmas assistance applications and furnishes names of children 16 years and younger and senior citizens to the Rotary Clubs. From this information tags are prepared and placed on the Tree of Joy. Generally, the tags indicate a need for some article of clothing or toy preferences and disclose the first name, age and clothing size of the recipient.
How do you participate in this program? Go to Santa Land in the Old Mill District and look for the Christmas tree with tags hanging from it. Pick one (or more). Then go shopping and buy a present or presents for the children or seniors, who, without your help, wouldn’t have a Christmas.
The items should be returned to the Tree of Joy, gift-wrapped, with the tag attached. Gifts should be returned before December 15, 2011.
Volunteers throughout the holiday season will deliver more than 3,000 gifts to local people in the Bend area.
GIFT GIVING TREES
The Lion’s Clubs in Bend and Redmond announce their Gift Giving Trees are ready for community donations to less fortunate children many who will not receive a present to open at Christmas.
If you know of a child in need come to Big Country RV and fill out a Lion’s gift request tag. The tags will describe the child and their gift request. The Lions gift giving trees are located at both Big Country RV stores in Bend Hwy 97 across from Home Depot and in Redmond Highway 97 next to the Dollar Store.
For those of you that want to donate a gift, come in and select a tag off of the Lions Gift Giving Trees. Purchase the gift, wrap it and return it to the tree before December 20. Checker Cab Company in Bend and Redmond will deliver your gifts.
Any participation will make a difference in a child’s Christmas. The Lions and Meals on Wheels will also have a special gift giving tree to remember our seniors and give them Holiday joy located at the same Big Country RV stores.
Cash donations are also appreciated and the Lions Club will do the shopping.
