Can you imagine your children, grand-children, nieces or nephews with nothing to open on Christmas Day? Yet in each of our communities there will be parents facing that crisis this holiday.

The Anonymous Santa is a charitable non-profit corporation dedicated to providing ìChristmas With Dignityî to children from families in crisis throughout the Chisago County and Forest Lake area.

Each year families face hardships during the holiday season. The Christmas With Dignity program offers an opportunity for parents to pick out gifts for their children in a Holiday Store set up December 14 & 15 in the United Methodist Church in North Branch.

Only new, non-violent toys and gifts are distributed along with mittens and hats, Christian books & videos, board games, sports balls and stocking stuffers.

This program began privately in Almelund over 25 years ago bringing Christmas into the homes of a few families that desperately needed an ìanonymous holiday elf.î Since then the program has grown to encompass Chisago County and the Forest Lake area.

Last year, with the help of over 100 volunteers, the program provided gifts for 984 children in 366 families throughout the local community.

The volunteer roster for Christmas With Dignity includes 4-H clubs, Girl & Boy Scout troops, High School clubs & Primary school classes from Chisago Lakes, Forest Lake & North Branch, Senior groups, Rotary & Lions Clubs, church families and employee groups throughout the county. And on Thursday, Nov. 30 the WAL-MART in Forest Lake donated $1000 to the project

There is no other program like this in the area.

The program does not receive tax dollars or support from any governmental agency. All of the funds are generated through donations and fund raising activities.

One hundred percent of the funds collected are used in the project, there are no administrative costs, nor is a salary paid to any person.

With the discontinuation of Family Pathways Adopt-A-Family and Community Helping Hand Program in Forest Lake, they are the only local holiday program available for families in crisis. All donations received are distributed to families in our local communities.

Please consider Anonymous Santa when looking for an opportunity to help a needy family this holiday.

There are many ways in which volunteers are needed like monetary donations, sponsoring an activity or event (host a toy collection drop-off site, give trees or provide a location for the counter coin tubes) or donate volunteer time.

On page ** of the Forest Lake Times is a list of all the local drop off sites for hoilday gifts that will be delivered to the holiday store. The advertisement also lists ideas for gifts to give and gifts that are needed.

Donations may be mailed to Anonymous Santa, P.O Box 901, North Branch, MN 55056.

For more information about the program or to volunteer time, money or gifts, contact LeeAnn Vande Kamp at 651-583-3121 or through e-mail at vandekamp@cornernet.com.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605