Brighten the lives of families in need
Saturday, December 9, from 9a - 1p
WHY WE DO IT
For many of us, Christmas is a time of fun and celebration, punctuated by the exchange of gifts. For others, facing financial hardship this Christmas season, the holidays mean stress and disappointment. Affordable Christmas is a ministry of Sojourn East where we come together as a church to alleviate the financial burden of purchasing Christmas gifts that many families within a short drive of our church will experience this year.
As we do this, we also hope to forge new relationships with those we serve, in the hope that they will experience the love of God and join us in community.
2023 marks the sixth year of Affordable Christmas, and over that time, we've gone from serving 2-dozen families to last year, where we were able to help nearly one hundred families with more than 200 children!
HOW YOU FIT IN
The past few years have exposed profound hardship in our community. For us to serve more families experiencing financial hardship, we need your help. Here's how you can join us in making Christmas possible for area families:
First, purchase a gift. As we get to know families in need, we ask them to fill out a Christmas wish list...just like we all did when we were kids. Click one of the Purchase buttons on this page, and you'll be taken to an Amazon wish list that has all of the items that the families we've identified have specifically requested for this Christmas. You'll find everything from toys for the kids to household items and clothing for adults.
Once you make your purchase, the item is crossed off the list and delivered to Sojourn East, where we store it until December 10th, when the families come to pick up their gifts.
Second, we need volunteers to help us on December 10th. From set-up and tear-down to needing runners to retrieve gifts and help load them to hospitality and refreshments, it takes a team to make Affordable Christmas happen...a really big team.
Click on the button to sign up to serve, and choose how you'd like to pitch-in. It'll be a great day. We promise.