We will support four organizations this year:

  1. Wellspring Lutheran Services is a merger of Lutheran Child and Family Services, Lutheran Homes (for Seniors), and Lutheran Refugee Services with offices and residential facilities throughout Michigan.
  2. Hope Clinic is a Christian agency in Ypsilanti that provides free medical and dental services, a food bank, and other services for low-income people in our community.
  3. Christmas in the Jail – St. Luke is partnering with the Washtenaw County Jail to brighten Christmas for all current inmates. Each one will receive a Christmas gift bag and a special get-together will be scheduled for qualified inmates and their families. Tailor-made gifts will be provided including an age appropriate bedtime story book that will be read aloud by the inmate and then presented to their children.
  4. Circles Program is having a dramatic impact on moving families out of poverty. It matches a person in poverty with middle or upper-income partners for at least 18 months. These relationships help break the cycle of generational poverty by assisting families to create their own personal paths out of poverty and achieve economic independence.

Due to the success of last year’s program, Wellspring Lutheran Service and Hope Clinic are again asking for monetary gifts they will then use to buy gift cards to give to families to do their own Christmas shopping. Christmas in the Jail is asking for monetary gifts to purchase the gifts bags for qualified inmates and their minor children. The Circles Program is asking for monetary gifts to purchase gift cards for each of the children involved in the program and a family game night gift bag for each family as described below.

Monetary Gifts

To make a monetary gift through St. Luke, bring or mail a check to church that is made out to St. Luke, and indicate on the memo “Giving Tree.” Or Online – there is a fund called “Christmas Giving Tree” on the St. Luke website and the St. Luke app under “Give”. No amount is too small, and together, St. Luke will make this Christmas special for so many families! We will split the monetary gifts received between these organizations. Please have all monetary gifts to St. Luke by November 30. The ornaments on the Christmas Giving Tree will be changed from red to silver to reflect the amount received each week.

Family Game Night Gift Bags

The Circles Program is asking for 11 Christmas gift bags with snacks and age-appropriate family board games or card games for a family game night. You may also include an appropriate greeting or message. Please keep the total cost of each gift bag to no more than $25. Please put the family’s designation on a tag attached to a handle of the gift bag.

Ideas for snacks include popcorn, chips, candy, cookies, hot chocolate or your favorite game night snack (please avoid nuts). Ideas for games could be Uno, Bingo, Jenga, Connect 4, Checkers, Pictionary, Candyland, Mouse Trap, Chutes and Ladders or your family’s favorite game!

You can sign up to provide one of these gift bags on our SignUpGenius page.

Through the Giving Tree last year, we provided over $5000 to these organizations to make Christmas special for the families they work with. This year, the need is just as great – let’s surpass what we gave last year as we come together as the body of Christ to shine His light in this world! Any amount you can give will make that light shine even brighter this Christmas!