2022 UPDATE:
- Our “Sharing Trees” will be up with tags beginning November 3, 2022
- A change this year will be the location of the Sharing Trees because in the past not everyone goes to the upper lounge and tags are not viewed and taken. This year, in coordination with the Christmas Decorating Committee, our Sharing Trees will be in the first alcoves (one on the Reardon Street and one on the Carpenter Street) until we begin Advent on Nov. 30.
- Our filled gift tags need to be at St. John’s no later than December 2nd
- Gifts can be returned to the areas around the trees with TAG ATTACHED and they will be delivered to the Salvation Army
- Unfilled Green Tags will be returned to United Way December 3
- The Impact Store opens November 3 at the new location of the Salvation Army at 330 Waldo and closes on December 23
Each November, St. John’s Lutheran Church participates in the annual “Sharing Tree” program. We are given tags from the Salvation Army with names of community members who are in need of a gift at Christmas. The tags are for both young children, teens, and adults who are facing challenges at this time. Gift requests may be for a toy to put under the tree, clothing items to make it through the winter season in Michigan, or household items.
The “tags” are then hung on Christmas trees on site and church members are asked to take a tag from the tree, fill the gift request, and return the unwrapped package to the church. We then deliver all “filled tags” back to the Salvation Army who distributes them to the community members. This year at St. John’s the Sharing Tree project will be coordinated by Sheri Sopcak and Kim Noey.