Community Christmas Tree back at Modesto Vintage Faire Mall. How you can help kids in need
The Community Christmas Tree, adorned with tags bearing the holiday needs and wishes of disadvantaged Modesto youth, has returned to Vintage Faire Mall. Now in its 39th year, the tree is a project of Soroptimist International of Modesto and Rotary Club of Modesto Sunrise.
This year’s tree will help more than 2,000 children selected by schools and social service agencies, said JoAnn Found, public awareness chair with the Soroptimists. “We establish the number of children we can handle and distribute tags to be completed in August,” she said in an email to The Bee. “The schools and agencies let us know how many they can take and we go from there!”
In the “needs” column, almost all the children ask for coats, warm clothing, shoes and socks, and many times underwear and blankets, Found said. “These children, as a rule, do not get new clothing items at all. They need the basics, the things our children take for granted.
“The teachers tell us that attendance goes up after the holiday break, and they think the kids really want to come to school because they have something nice to wear. When one teacher told me this, I really thought that this program goes beyond giving gifts — we actually raise self-esteem for these children and give them a sense of hope.”
Among older youth, the listed needs oftentimes include personal items: cologne and hygiene products. “Again, those things we take for granted,” Found said.
The tags of older teens, perhaps ages 15-17, also tend to hang on the Community Christmas Tree long after younger children’s are taken. “We would love to ask people to select one of these adolescents and work together with a friend or co-worker to shop for them,” Found said. “We understand this is sometimes more challenging, but these older kids really appreciate it!
In the showcase at the Community Christmas Tree kiosk is a letter of thanks received a few years ago from a 16-year-old. “Every time I read it, I cry,” Found said. “He said that receiving his gifts renewed his faith in humanity! He was so impressed that someone who didn’t know him at all was willing to purchase clothing and the items he asked for.”
As for Christmas wishes, she said, “many kids ask for scooters, several ask for bikes (and we urge our shoppers to purchase a helmet if they get a bike). And of course, skateboards (a helmet, please). Then, of course, dolls for the little girls. And for our wee ones, please pay close attention to the age levels noted on toys.
“Every year, we also have young adults, some with their own children, come out and tell us, ‘I was on that tree when I was younger. The gifts were amazing and it really made our Christmas, when my parents couldn’t afford to give us much.’”
The Community Christmas Tree is on the upper level of the mall, right above Santa’s Village, and is open daily, Nov. 24 through Dec. 18. General hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but there are exceptions posted at the kiosk.
It’s a simple process: Shoppers select a tag, check it out at the kiosk, shop for the child and return the gifts, unwrapped, to the kiosk.
Monetary donations also are welcome and should be mailed to Community Christmas Tree, P.O. Box 578639, Modesto CA 95357-8639, or Venmo at “Community Christmas Tree.”
Businesses can participate by adopting 10 or more tags and shopping for those children. If interested, call Pam Shelton-Allen at 209-541-5447 or 209-551-0221.
To learn more, go to communitychristmastreemodesto.com. To volunteer or for more information on the program, contact Debra Campbell at cctmodesto@yahoo.com.
