The Salvation Army’s Merry Christmas
for All
project is Cook County’s version of the national Project Angel Tree outreach. The goal is to multiply the joy of the Christmas season in the lives of Cook County residents by assisting with “giftgiving ability.” In this economic downturn, individuals and families may find gift giving harder to do than in years past. We want to help sustain the joy of giving throughout the holiday season.
Merry Christmas for All
is looking for two types of people here in Cook County. According to one of the organizers, Pastor Dale McIntire, “First, we are looking for donors. These are folks who will stop by the North Shore Federal Credit Union in Grand Marais or in Lutsen from Nov. 26 to Dec. 17 and take a name or two off the Christmas tree in the lobby and purchase the gifts listed on the card.”
These gifts will be from children’s “wish lists” who are registered with Merry
Christmas for All.
Donors will purchase gifts and return them unwrapped to the Credit Union.
Donors may also want to visit the giving trees at the Arrowhead Electric Co-op office in Lutsen or the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Grand Marais where winter mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats will be collected.
“We also welcome business and corporate donations. Local businesses have in the past provided gift certificates for goods and services that Merry Christmas
for All
passes along to participants,” said McIntire.
Of course, the other group of people the group would like to hear from are people willing to say, “You know, I’d like a little extra giving ability at Christmas.”
McIntire said, “We want to hear from single people, families, and ‘chronologically gifted community members’ with whom we can share these blessings.”
Applications for Merry Christmas
for All
are available at any of the county churches, the Birch Grove Foundation office, Cook County Human Services, Grand Portage Human Services, and at Grand Portage Health Services.
Managers at the local senior apartment complexes have project applications as do Arrowhead Electric, North Shore Hospital, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Sawtooth Elementary, Human Development Center, Cook County Health and Human Services, and the Violence Prevention Center.
If you’d like to give a gift to immediate family members, but that is more financially challenging this year than ever before, we want to help. We also want people to know they’re cared about in this season, so a person could also request a gift for themselves.
Applications will be available Monday, Nov. 1 and must be returned by Friday, Nov. 19.
TheChristmas trees will be at the North Shore Federal Credit Union, Arrowhead Electric and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic from Nov. 26-Dec. 17. Then gifts will be available for pick-up at the Grand Marais Senior Center on Saturday, Dec. 18. We will also have pick-up locations at Birch Grove and Grand Portage.
For more information on giving to or receiving through the Salvation Army’s Merry Christmas for All
outreach, call Dale McIntire at 387-2090.
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