HOliday Giving at St. Paul's

Through your generosity, St. Paul’s makes the holidays happier for local families whose resources are scarce. Together, members and friends of this congregation provide food for hearty Thanksgiving meals and gifts for children through our Holiday Giving project. 


Last year, your compassion and care helped make the holidays brighter for 142 families in our area, including 245 children. 


The holidays are a special time to celebrate how much we can do together when the Spirit moves among us during the holiday season. Please scroll down to read about holiday outreach efforts for 2021.


We also work year-round to share our blessings through out Hunger Ministry. For information please view our Hunger Ministry page.

Holiday Giving 2020:

Rethinking the GIving Tree

To donate to the Holiday Giving Project, CLICK HERE.


Donations Welcome!


Although we will deeply miss the annual Cookies & Carols party and stacks of donated gifts under the tree, our Hunger Ministry coordinators have developed a plan that gives families maximum flexibility to select meaningful presents and prevents the possibility of covid-19 spreading among families and children who are only just eligible to begin receiving the vaccines. (The photo below is from our party in 2019!)


This year, we have a different way to share our blessings with the households of our Hunger Ministry families and referrals from Montgomery County's Holiday Giving Project (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/PACS/Holiday-Giving.html). 


We are grateful for monetary donations that help us purchase Target and grocery gift cards. 


If you’d like to contribute to this work, financial contributions are welcomed any time online by Clicking HERE or by check (made out to St. Paul's UMC, designate "Holiday Giving" in the memo line) mailed to: Holiday Giving, St. Paul’s UMC, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895.


We are thankful for the many personalized messages and hand-crafted Christmas cards that members and friends are providing to carry our well-wishes and gift cards to our neighbors in need.


Your generosity makes for warm hearts even during cold times. Thank you! 

Holiday Giving Thanks!

Romans 12:13 tells us “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” 


In 2020, although we could not invite our Hunger Ministry families into the building to extend holiday cheer, St. Paul’s rose to the occasion by sending Christmas to their homes. Your generosity made it possible to serve 153 households and 296 children, a combination of the families we serve each month and the county referrals through the Holiday Giving Project.  That is a multitude of gift cards!  


For 2021, instead of hosting a holiday party and traditional Giving Tree gifts for our Hunger Ministry families and county referrals, the Hunger Ministry will be distributing department store gift cards for families to purchase gifts for their children. 


If you would like to contribute toward these Christmas gift cards, visit our secure donation site by clicking here. Checks may be made payable to St. Paul’s UMC with “holiday giving” in the memo line, and mailed or dropped off in the church office.

 

 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."  (2 Corinthians 9:11)