These offerings are distributed primarily through the Wesley No-Charge Christmas Store in Hamilton and several smaller charities throughout Halton.
Financially, we will be supporting a local charity: “Food 4 Kids” with White Gift dollars.
Food4Kids fills backpacks with nutritious foods for children to take home on a Friday to ensure some food every weekend.
The program is handled in a discreet way and continues only as long as the individual need lasts. It is hard to believe that this is a need in our Oakville/Burlington/Milton schools, but the numbers are staggering!
Shopping, packing, delivering is all work done by volunteers.
Once again, Wesley will be running this enormous project. The Store is open from December 8 to December 19, with the exception of Sundays, December 7 and 14 – very few days to provide for more than 5,000 individuals. The Registration and set up takes 2 weeks prior to opening. All families are registered and each person in that family is allowed to select only one gift.
Walton Congregation has been asked to concentrate our White Gifts as follows. We are definitely not restricted to the suggestions below, however, we are requested not to send guns or stuffed animals/toys:
Gifts for ADULTS: $25. – $30. Value.
Examples: Small Kitchen Appliances, Towels, New Pillows, Duvets, Hygiene Sets/Socks.
Gifts for TEENS: $25. – $30. Value (ages 13 – 18).
Examples: Hair Appliances, Hygiene Sets, Sports Equipment, Gift Cards.
Should you wish to make a financial donation, we ask that you do this through the Walton Church Office by cheque clearly marked White Gift. This donation will then flow through your annual givings. We will use the funds wisely based on needs – primarily for local families who need your help to make a holiday season for their little ones.
You can volunteer to be a Walton driver on Sunday, December 6th, to deliver our White Gifts – you can offer financial support, or knit mittens and scarves – or bake for the volunteers for their snacks or donate food for the grocery store section. Any and all help will be so appreciated in making this a better experience for all.
If you would like to volunteer at the Store this year, please see Ruth Perkins or any Outreach Committee member at the Welcome Desk in Bronte Hall – the schedule information is available there but is too massive to print here.
You can volunteer in the Store as a shopping assistant or a check-out person for a day or a half day, you can volunteer to do pre-store Registrations or setup, or work in the loading dock, or help with the tear down – whatever activity suits your skill set and your available time. There are volunteer orientation sessions on Nov. 25 and December 3.
Apart from your White Gift, you can donate well-loved Christmas decorations to find a new home and new people to love them. For many years now, Wesley has taken on an additional project of providing for refugee families in Hamilton – you can put a sparkle in the eyes of someone small.
The Outreach Committee is happy to co-ordinate your volunteer visits, but we cannot all volunteer on the same day, so we suggest that you arrange to go with a friend – to car pool with and to debrief with (so important). You may give your information to Ruth or you may also call in direct to Rebecca (her number is on the information sheets).
Information Sheets are available at the Walton Welcome Desk.
Please ask us about this rewarding volunteer experience! It will change your holiday.
