Be A Gift: 11 Ways You Can Impact Orange County This Christmas Season

Starbucks is already playing Christmas music; Target has its Holiday Lights section stocked and ready to go. The Malls are already crowded and it's not even Thanksgiving!
Are you ready for Christmas?!

I want to propose to you a radical, but really joyful and freeing idea this Christmas season...
What if this Christmas, we spent more time thinking and planning about how to serve those in need rather than thinking and planning on what color sweater to buy Uncle Jim or what gadget to ask others to buy for us? 

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells those who follow Him, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

The 11 opportunities listed below are listed in order by date and specific opportunities we are highlighting at my Church, Calvary Church of Santa Ana this Christmas season.  But feel free, even if you don't go to Calvary to get involved with one of the following projects. I know that each one is a worthwhile endeavor and could greatly use your help!

May the following opportunities be ways in which we are used here in Orange County, California to glorify God and point others to Jesus through our compassion, love and grace...

1. Christmas Military Outreach at Camp Pendleton (Dec. 1, 2, 3)
Join Calvary Reach Local Partner, Children Giving Gifts (www.Childrengivinggifts.org) and “Toys for Tots” at Camp Pendleton in San Diego the first weekend of December in providing over 3,000 low-income children from Camp Pendleton Military Base, the opportunity to select 2-gifts to give to their parents for Christmas. Volunteers are needed at Camp Pendleton from 9am-5pm on Thursday, Dec 1^st, Friday, Dec 2^nd and Saturday, December 3rd to help distribute gifts and help children through the selection process. To sign up for one of the shifts, contact Janice Fitzgerald at JFitzGerald@calvarylife.org or 714.550.2310.


2. Donate a Book to a Low-Income Santa Ana Elementary Student (Dec 4, 11, 18)
Calvary Church has adopted Garfield Elementary School in East Santa Ana as partner project.  On Christmas Eve morning, staff from Garfield and teachers from every Santa Ana Unified School District School will volunteer to distribute food, toys and books to low-income students and families at Santa Ana High School. They have asked us as a Church to help with book donations.  Books should be brand new or slightly used and can be dropped off at Calvary during the Christmas program (Dec. 2^nd-4^th) or on a Sunday morning in the Worship Center Lobby Sunday, Dec. 4^th, 11^th or 18^th.  Contact Matt Doan for questions or more info at mdoan@calvarylife.org or 714.550.2378.


3. Donate a Christmas Food Box to a Single Mom (Donation due by December 7^th)

Calvary Church is partnering with Golden Share Foods (www.goldensharefoods.com) on a monthly basis to distribute discount grocery boxes to member of our Church and community.  Specifically this Christmas, we would love to donate boxes to Single Mom’s in our Church. Boxes range from $24 to $45 and can feed a family of 3-4 for a week.  To donate a food box to a single mom in need this Christmas, contact Janice FitzGerald at 714.550.2310 or JFitzGerald @calvarylife.org

(Deadline to order a food box in Wednesday, December 7^th)

4. Deliver an Angel Tree Gift to a Child of a Prisoner (December 10th  thru December 18th)

There are thousands of kids in Orange County who will experience Christmas this year with the reality of having a Mom or Dad incarcerated in prison.  Angel Tree (www.angeltree.org) serves as a tool of Prison Fellowship (www.pfm.org)  to serve inmates with the love of Jesus Christ and share the Gospel with them and their families.  Our annual Angel Tree Luncheon at Calvary Church is Saturday, December 10th from Noon to 2:30pm in Fellowship Hall. To volunteer to help with the luncheon contact Jessica atjessicalynn76@gmail.com . The Following Week we need teams of people to help deliver gifts to children who were not able to make our luncheon. Most of the children live in the Tustin/Santa Ana/Orange area.  To deliver an Angel Tree gift to a home, contact Tom Robb at tcrobb@cox.net  or call Janice at 714.550.2310.

5. Encourage An Orange County victim of Human Trafficking by donating to a Christmas Wish List (Donations due by December 11th )

The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (www.ochumantrafficking.org) provides Christmas gifts for those who have recently been rescued from human trafficking situations here in Orange County.  This is an opportunity to concretely be the hands and feet of Jesus to a victim of human trafficking. The Christmas Wish List of “June” (age 22) is below:
This is what the case worker had to say about “June”: “She is a very “girly” girl and loves makeup. She has had a very difficult year and has been struggling to get back home out of state. She has a lot of strength and courage and is trying to be independent. Now that the trial is over she is hoping to move out of state. A little “sunshine” for the holidays will remind her that there are people out there who care and are not out to hurt her or cause pain.” Wish List: Winter coat- black, size: Medium; Jewelry (bracelet, rings)-silver and any types of gems; Hygiene products (shampoo /conditioner/body wash); Hair accessories; Gift cards to Target and/or Walmart. To donate an item to “June’s” wish list contact Rachel Snyder at rachel@thesnydersonline.com


6. Volunteer at a Christmas Toy Wrapping Party for Orange County Homeless Elementary School Students (December 12^th, 13^th, 14, 15^th)
Children Giving Hope (www.gchope.org) , a non-profit local reach partner of Calvary Church, is hosting a week of Christmas Toy Wrapping parties at the G.C.H. facility/warehouse (8332 Commonwealth Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621), December 12^th thru 15^th.  All the toys being wrapped will go to Homeless students who participate in the ‘We Got Your Back” program, a food outreach to homeless families here in Orange County. Volunteers are needed on Monday, December 12th from 6:00pm to 9pm, Tuesday, December 13th from 1:00pm to 4pm and Wednesday, December 14th from 1:00pm to 4pm, and on Thursday, December 15^th from 6:00pm to 9pm. Contact: Drew Bryson at  dbryson@godaid.org  or 714-523-4454 to sign up for one of these shifts.


7. Serve an At-Risk Child thru Olive Crest’s “Be The Miracle” Christmas Campaign (Donations due by December 15th)
With childhoods shattered by abuse and neglect, many kids at Olive Crest have never grown up in joyful expectation of Christmas. Calvary Church and OliveCrest invite you to “Be the Miracle” this season by granting a wish or giving a donation. These wishes are so much more than gifts to open Christmas morning. They are opportunities to remind kids at Olive Crest that they are valued, remembered, and special to God and to us. Go to www.olivecrest.org and click on “Be the Miracle” to find specific wish lists and donation requests or call 714-543-KIDS (5437), ext. 1119.  Deadline is Thursday, December 15^th.


8. Volunteer to serve Low-Income Families in East Santa Ana and West Tustin thru “Christmas in the Neighborhood”  (December 17^th)

Calvary Church is partnering with Families Together of Orange County (www.factoc.org)  to help serve over 2,000 children in the East Santa Ana/West Tustin area thru an event called “Christmas in the Neighborhood” on Saturday, December 17^th from 12pm to 2pm (621 W. 1^st St. Tustin, Ca 92780). Volunteers are needed the week before the event to sort and wrap toys. Contact Sonya at sonyaalexrossel@cox.net or 714-931-0457 for more info or to sign up to volunteer.


9. Volunteer at The Orange County Toy Collaborative /Toys for Tots Warehouse (November 28^th thru December 23^rd)

The Orange County Toy Collaborative is the primary source for most Orange County non-profit Christmas toy giveways. Volunteers are needed daily to unload trucks, sort donated items and pack toys for distribution from November 28th thru December 23^rd. Volunteer shifts are available on weekdays & weekends. Minimum age to volunteer: 18. Volunteer shifts are available daily at 8:00AM and noon. Contact: Jane Dawson at Jane.dawson@ocgov.com or 714-834-7440.

10. Provide Rain Ponchos and New Socks to Santa Ana Homeless (December 1^st thru December 23^rd)
Mercy House (www.mercyhouse.net) in Santa Ana (807 N. Garfield St. Santa Ana, Ca 92701) is a non-profit homeless prevention and emergency services provider. Mercy House hosts the Cold Weather Armory Homeless Shelter in Santa Ana, December thru March. They are in need of rain ponchos, packages of men’s and women’s socks (sizes 6-12) and McDonald $5 gift cards to distribute to the Homeless this Christmas season. For more info or to find out when to drop off donations, Contact: Ashleigh at ashleigha@mercyhouse.net or 714-836-7188 x102.


11. Donate to the Orange County Rescue Mission Child Development Center (December 1^st thru December 23^rd)
The Orange County Rescue Mission  (www.rescuemission.org) “Village of Hope” in Tustin provides a campus for over 200 men, women and their children, who are working at putting their lives back together after experiencing homelessness.  The Child Development Center at the “Village of Hope” cares for the children of the men and women in the program.  Christmas donations needed for the babies and preschoolers of the Rescue Mission include: Diapers (size 4, 5, 6); baby wipes, under Jams (diapers for big kids), Little swimmers, diaper cream, children’s socks & underwear, boy’s clothing (2T-4T); Swiffer wipes (wet), boxes of gloves (disposable rubber/latex), pop up wipes (with bleach) Goldfish crackers, pretzels, trail mix, baby cracker/cookies. Donations should be marked Village of Hope “Child Development Center” and dropped off at the Village of Hope Warehouse (One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA 92782) between the hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm (Mon-Sat). Contact Mike Martinez at mmartinez@rescuemission.org or (714) 247-4300 with any questions or more info.

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