Howard Shaffer stands next to Giving Tree in the he church’s Narthex loaded with gift angels.

Marvin and Lucy Young, Sacred Heart parishioners, gather the gifts and food to be delivered a family.

This Christmas Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church expanded its Village Outreach Christmas Basket Program.  A total of 53 families received Christmas food baskets along with 472 children’s Christmas presents and 120 certificates for free shoes were delivered by Sacred Heart parishioners.  Funds from individual donations along with contributions from the Ladies of Sacred Heart, the Sacred Heart Men’s Club and the Knights of Columbus, were used in providing the food and gifts.

In the Narthex of the church a giving tree was put in place early in December decorated with angels.  Each angel had a suggested gift for a specific unidentified child from one of the 53 families.  Parishioners would select an angel, purchase the gift, wrap it for Christmas and return it to the church where it was gathered with other gifts and items for that particular family.

The committee, lead by chairman Ed Keearns, purchased food staples and set them up in a staging area within the church.  The food was then distributed into boxes for each family.  Parishioners who volunteered to deliver the baskets would gather the gifts and food assembled for their family, go to the grocery store and purchase additional perishable items and deliver the total collection to the family.  There were many happy faces this Christmas thanks to the generosity and efforts of the Sacred Heart parishioners.