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Miracle Tree provides needy families with Christmas gifts
by David Namanny, Press-News Editor
The Miracle Tree project in Osage is underway and a similar project in St. Ansgar is gearing up for the gift-giving season. The Miracle Tree efforts are intended to help children in low-income families in their respective school districts.
A Christmas tree with the tags for children is up at Hardware Hank in Osage. Co-organizer Debbie Goodale said thus far, there are over 100 names of needy children on the tree.
The children's tags are numbered so they may remain anonymous. The names are provided to Goodale and project partner Carrie Bremer from a private source. Givers pick up a tag and fill them based on the child's name and information on the tag.
The givers and the receivers never know who they are. Instead of shopping, people can donate directly to the project at Hardware Hank.
Goodale said she is hoping for an early start locally for the project, although most tags are not picked up until after Thanksgiving.
People choose tags off the tree and buy clothing in the size listed and toys the children said they would like. They then bring the unwrapped purchases back to Hardware Hank along with the stocking tag. For people who don't like to shop, gifts of money may be given to a Hardware Hank employee to be placed in a special collection and volunteers will do the shopping for you.
Goodale and Bremer are asking that all tags with gifts be returned by Wednesday, Dec. 10 to allow enough time to wrap the gifts and have them delivered before Christmas.
Gifts and tags are grouped by families and volunteers then wrap all the presents and the sacks of goodies are distributed before Christmas with the assistance of the Osage Kiwanis Club and other organizations.
Officials at Farmer's State Bank in St. Ansgar are also gathering names of children to serve in that community's miracle tree effort.
A tree went up at the bank the just last week. The bank takes referrals for children from the community, schools and other sources and then calls the families for permission to include them in the project. On average nine to 16 families each year are helped at Christmas time through Miracle Tree giving in the St. Ansgar community.
Children from infants to through high school benefit through both projects. Those who buy gifts are asked to return them to Osage or St. Ansgar unwrapped. At least one article of clothing and a toy are included in their package.
Both programs have also been able to provide boxes of food for the families in the past if donations flow in to allow it.
The Miracle Tree, now in its 22rd year, started in 1986 when owners, including Debbie Goodale, of the former Wee Three children's clothing store on Main Street and the Schultz Family Store in the Town & Country Plaza teamed up to help their less fortunate neighbors.
Schultz Family Store closed in 1988, but Larson's Hardware Hank, owned by the Bremers, filled the void and carried on the worthwhile project.
Story created Nov 25, 2008 - 11:11:27 CST.
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