Dear Friends:

On July 1st Christmas was only 178 days away!  You may laugh, but the Mt. Zion Community Children’s Christmas Fund was already busy at work planning to help make the 2005 Christmas season a little brighter for needy children in the Mt. Zion area.  For the past 24 years, the Children’s Christmas Fund has helped over 1,800 children, and we need your help to continue this project. 

Our goal is to allow needy children to receive new school clothes and a small gift item for Christmas.  Last year we provided a winter coat, hat, gloves, two complete outfits, socks and underwear, and a pair of tennis shoes to over 130 children in the free lunch program identified by the Mt. Zion school staff.  About two children in each classroom throughout the District need our help.  Over $17,000 was needed to provide these gifts.  We were able to accomplish this through donations from community members, businesses, school organizations, and the many hours of volunteer work.   

These gifts are distributed to the parents to be placed under their own Christmas tree for their children.

 We anticipate the need to grow even more in 2005, and would like to get an early start by celebrating “Christmas in July!”  In order to provide the gifts as in previous years, we expect to need about $18,000.     

All donations are used for the children, as all people involved in the Children’s Christmas Fund donate their time and energy to help make the project the success it has been for over 24 years! 

We will be delivering an informational packet to your Church before July.  Please take time to look these over and prayerfully consider helping us get started a bit earlier this year.  Your help is needed to collect donations, join our Community committee (one hour monthly meetings are used to train our “shoppers” and “organizers” for December and to get mailings, etc. ready), and perhaps delivery of some gifts.  Many hands can make this huge Mission go so much smoother.  Currently three Churches have come together in our meetings and more are needed. 

Please take this time to consider what you may be able to donate to this valuable cause.  Please make checks payable to the Mt. Zion Community Children’s Christmas Fund, and either ,mail it or take it to Prairie State Bank and Trust, 340 Main, Mt. Zion, Illinois 62549.  Please feel free to contact either Kim Spinner 872-4167 or Judy Sidwell 864-3759 with any questions.   

Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from during our celebration of “Christmas in July,” so that we can continue this wonderful and much needed program. 

The Mt. Zion Community Children’s Christmas Fund Committee

Distribution of the gifts will take place before the school holiday break which begins on December 22. Shopping and wrapping has to take place during the week before. Time is of the essence!!!

Please consider sending a donation now.

 Our thanks to Sears for generous discounts on clothing and shoes, to Walgreens for specials on toys, make-up kits, and cologne packages for older students, Walmart for donations and discounts, and area dentists for toothbrushes for all the kids.

Suggestions or Questions regarding design or content of this site should be directed to Joseph C. Sidwell