Photo: Joyful Givers volunteers share holiday cheer with the community     Photo courtesy of Joyful Givers

 

Pope John XXIII once said, “Mankind is a great, an immense family.  This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” The Grand County community has definitely lived up to this quote this year and demonstrated that our hearts of full of Christmas joy, love, and giving.  

The 2018 Joyful Givers Christmas Program has just wrapped up its season.  Thanks to the generous support of many sponsors and volunteers, we were able to bring Christmas cheer to the faces of 135 children from 54 local families this year.  In total, we received more than $6,000 in monetary donations and dispersed over 550 gifts. In addition to gifts of clothing, toys, and games, we also purchased 75 pairs shoes and boots through the partnership with Rack Room Shoes in Castle Rock.  Additionally, each family also went home with a gift card to either City Market, Safeway, Mountain Food Market.

Joyful Givers wishes to thank the many individuals and businesses that assisted with this year’s program.  Without the support of the community, this program would not be such a success. Our gratitude goes out to everyone that sponsored a gift, a child, or a family.  Not only did we have many individual sponsors, we also had several organizational sponsors as well. We whole-heartedly thank Changes Thrift Store, Henderson Mine and Mill, and Winter Park Christian Church for sponsoring an overwhelming number of gifts.   A special thanks also goes to Dahlia Ruiz, the Christian Motorcycle Association, East Grand School District, Granby Library, Grand Fire Protection District #1, Mountain Family Center acting on behalf of Grand Angels, Trinity Church in the Pines, and Winter Park Police Department for all their support and sponsorship.  Lastly, we wish to thank the volunteers that spent many days wrapping, organizing, and preparing gifts for pick up and delivery. We had around 20 volunteers spend a cumulative 200 hours on this program this year.

Our program helped 54 families this year, but it is only one of several holiday giving programs in the community.  There are many families facing hardships in Grand County. If this story touched your heart and sparked a desire to help others in need, consider contacting Mountain Family Center or any of the food banks in the county.  If you wish to help with next year’s Joyful Givers program, please contact Katlin at joyfulgiversgrandcounty@gmail.com or 970-531-0127 to be added to our contact list.

We will leave you with one last inspirational quote by Agnes M. Pharo: “What is Christmas?  It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!