Epworth Christmas Joy! 365 Family Mission completed
As a fully loaded 16-foot rental truck pulled away from Epworth United Methodist Church last week, it headed toward making this Christmas more joyful for 79 families with 239 children in the Cape Henlopen School District. Each family received three reusable grocery bags full of food staples, fresh produce and paper products in addition to the Food Lion gift card which will complete their holiday dinner. Teens received a gift card for area merchants and personal care items. Younger children received clothes and two toys. New this year, every child received their own warm, fuzzy throw blanket.
The most requested items were educational toys and Lego sets; the popular Frozen and Skylanders merchandise and Barbie still made the wish lists. Also asked for were craft kits, books, board games, basketballs and footballs, skateboards, bikes (with helmets) and scooters, and baby dolls with their accessories. The toddlers’ toys sang, whistled and zoomed, some even after being wrapped. Clothing items most requested were jeans, coats, underwear and socks, boots/shoes and outfits in pink, purple and blue with sizes beginning as little as 9 months old.
“We would like to thank the businesses who chose to adopt families and include Christmas Joy! 365 as part of their own Christmas celebrations: The Bellmoor Inn, Rehoboth Beach; RE/MAX By The Sea, Bethany Beach; Child’s Play By The Bay, Lewes; and The Dairy Queen, Millsboro. Your generosity was greatly appreciated,” said Carol Lewis, chair of this year’s Family Mission.
The 2014 Christmas Joy! 365 Family Mission actually began in June with the planning of the Annual October Silent Auction, which is the major fundraiser event to support Epworth’s local assistance ministry at Christmas, and since 2012, now throughout the year. The proceeds of the silent auction are used to meet each family’s wish list as given to the Cape Henlopen School District’s Visiting Teacher and Homeless Liaisons as well as West Rehoboth Youth Program, Delaware Guidance and Epworth Caring Ministry. These wishes appear as gift tags on the Giving Tree for adoption by the Epworth congregation, Epworth Preschool families and the community. In early December, any tags remaining on the Giving Tree are turned over to the shopping elves to finish purchasing the gifts, grocery items and food gift cards. The gifts and food are sorted by family in piles on the Fellowship Hall floor and were wrapped by the congregation Dec. 6.
With the recent delivery of over 2,000 packages, Epworth Missions Christmas Joy! 365 Program completed its 24th year of giving its beach neighbors a merrier Christmas.
Epworth United Methodist Church is at 19285 Holland Glade Road in Rehoboth Beach; call 302-227-7743, or go to www.eumcrb.org.
