The Giving Tree ministry is an annual, ecumenical ministry filled with love and grace that is driven by community need. Each year St. John’s clergy and volunteers help organize and implement this project, which helps struggling local families provide Christmas presents for their kids. The project is organized by participating Walpole clergy and staffed by both adult and youth volunteers, and fulfilled by caring members of this amazing community.
The Giving Tree community project helped 36 families and 76 kids this year. Thank you to all who donated gifts. A special thank you to Mary Schoppmeyer who maintained the database of gift requests and generated labels for the tags and helped the organization of this massive project flow properly; to Kelli Wilson, Marilyn Wilking, and Marilyn Shriver who helped with the shopping task for unchosen tags; and to WYG members Lillia, Anya, and Bennett who gave up a Sunday afternoon to shop and wrap with us! It’s a great effort! We’re looking to organize this differently next year. If this ministry is calling you, please speak to Susan about being on a joint planning team with members of First Congregational Church. We start again next September — only nine months away!
