We will participate again this year in the Holiday Angels program for our next-door neighbor, Gateway Longview, a day school and residential educational center for at-risk youth. Gateway sends us Wish Lists from children and young adults in their various facilities, including first name, age, gender, sizes for clothing and shoes, and color or brand preferences. Individuals, families, or self-created groups choose a recipient and purchase NEW items for them. (Donors typically spend $75-100.) UNWRAPPED gifts
are brought to church, and delivered by volunteers to Gateway staff, who approve, wrap, and distribute the gifts. It’s generally a short turnaround time (about 2 weeks) from when we receive the information in November and when gifts are due in very early December.

If you would like to participate, but would not be willing or able to fulfill a full Wish List on your own, UU Amherst volunteers (Marie Evans, Dian Tucker, and Ruth Bowen) are willing to collect money and pool resources to provide gifts. UU Amherst Clothing Ministry has items in a variety of sizes that still have original tags on them and might match up with Angel requests. You may also donate wrapping materials (ideally, large gift bags and tissue paper) that we can pass on to Gateway.

As soon as we receive the Wish Lists, a Christmas tree will go up in the lobby and sign-ups will commence. I’ll also send an All-church email. We track which people are participating, and Gateway will send you a Thank You, but donors will not be identified to the recipient other than as “an Angel.”

Marie Evans