Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

For nearly a decade, the congregation at Faith Lutheran Church and staff at Forest Lake Family Center have partnered in a Christmas tradition.

Each year, they participate in the Giving Tree program, helping make holidays brighter for area families.

Wishes are collected from families using programs at the Family Center. Those wishes are hung on a tree at Faith the week before Thanksgiving. In addition, staff make generic wish lists so no families are left without.

The congregation selects tags and then purchases gifts for families in need.

Cathy Nelson is Christian education coordinator for Faith Lutheran Church.

She said the tradition is a beloved one at Faith Lutheran.

ìItís been wonderful for the church, she said. ìPeople keep asking, when is the tree going up.îí

Giving is a way of life at Faith Lutheran Church.

It goes further with congregation classes adopting families outside of this program. Soon, masses of youth can be seen locally at Target and Wal-Mart collecting gifts for families.

Each year, the congregation is generous. This year, they ensured bountiful holidays for about 40 area familiesóabout 150 boys and girls and their parents.

ìItís so wonderful to see the congregation come together and really support the community,î Nelson said.

On Monday, staff at the family center used their time off from work to volunteer. They worked as elves as vans full of gifts were delivered to the Family Center for sorting.

Tammy Dunrud, assistant coordinator of the Family Center, was one of those elves decked out in a furry red Santa cap as she readied packages for distribution.

ìThis gets us all in the holiday spirit,î she said. Dunrud said the people of Faith Lutheran are generous people who give and give kindly.

All of the donations are done confidentially, gift tags being assigned codes until distribution.

Vicki Bohling-Philippi, parent educator at the Family Center, said the program is a rewarding one.

ìFor those of us who work with families, we really get to see things come full circle and thatís exciting,î she said.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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