Christmas is just around the corner! The Giving Tree Project is an annual outreach to care centers by St. Irenaeus Health Ministry that has gone on for the last 36 years. Our goal is to show residents, no matter their faith, that they are not forgotten during the holidays. Due to continued pandemic precautions, our Giving Tree Parties will be cut back, but St. Irenaeus Health Ministry will provide gifts for each resident. We also plan to give appreciation gifts for the staff at each of the care facilities we serve. These are hard-working essential workers and compassionate heroes. The facilities that St. Irenaeus Health Ministry serves are: Harvest Retirement in Buena Park, Sunrise La Palma, Karlton Residential Center in Anaheim, Health Care Center Orange County in Buena Park, and Anaheim Terrace Care Center (Genesis). Since each care facility resident will receive a gift, in addition to homebound parishioners, we need 406 gifts. Due to health concerns, we will buy the gifts rather than ask parishioners to purchase and donate them.
This is a significant financial commitment, so we are again asking the whole community, as well as St. Irenaeus parishioners, for monetary donations to purchase gifts. Checks should be made out to St. Irenaeus Church, with “H.M./Giving Tree” written on the memo line, and dropped off or mailed to St. Irenaeus Church, 5201 Evergreen Ave., Cypress, CA 90630. The deadline for receiving donations is Tuesday, November 30th. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Dagarag at 714-826-0760, extension 124. Donations can also be made on the St. Irenaeus website, Health Ministry/Giving Tree button.
Residents at long-term care facilities look forward to gifts and holiday cheer. So, please consider donating to this project. It’s like giving a “virtual hug” to these older adults, many of whom get few visitors. Thanks to the leadership of Jennifer Dagarag, R.N. (Co-Health Ministry Facilitator), JoAnn Pyne (Co-Facilitator), Grace Francis (Chair of Care Facilities Ministry), Karen Nerrie (Chair, Giving Tree Committee), and your generous donation, the 2021 Giving Tree Project will be successful again this year.
