In 2023 the Owen United Church of Christ and St. Katherine’s Episcopal churches began (what we hope will be a long-standing tradition of) packing “shoe box” Christmas gifts for the students at school who participate in the W-O-W Kids’ Meals program and any other needy students in the O-W schools. Last year several individuals from other area churches joined us. This initiative was very well received by both the staff and the kids at school. Extra boxes were used to permit students who couldn’t afford a gift for the classroom gift exchange to select a gift for a classmate.
We are continuing the tradition this year, and would like to invite any interested folks from your church to join us in donating materials and packing the boxes. Boxes will be packed, according to data from the school, either for a boy or girl, in these age ranges: 4–5, 6–8 and 9–12.
We have decided to have a fellowship/packing day on Sunday, December 14 following our church service. We will begin with a light pot-luck lunch at around 11:45, in our church basement fellowship hall, and then pack boxes until all are completed. (The Packers play Denver at 3:15, and we should be done by then.)
We have already collected enough shoe boxes, and items for filling the boxes have been steadily coming in. We have already collected plenty of stuffed animals, pens and pencils. Other items you might consider donating: small individual boxes of cereal or other snack type items (granola bars); boxes of raisins; small bags of jerky; individually wrapped snack sticks; school supplies (rulers, notebooks, etc.), gloves; socks; mittens and caps; sanitary products, etc. And there is always a need for wrapping paper, ribbon and tape for completing the wrapping process. If you are one of those folks who receives a fleece blanket when donating to a particular charity and you would like to contribute that, we’d welcome those things too.
Thank you so much for considering our request. Please RSVP to Noel Barteck at nebarteck@frontier.com, 715-229-2694 (home) or 715-965-8225 (cell) if you have items to donate, or want to join us in packing boxes. Please leave a message if I am not able to answer the phone.