Goose Creek’s Angel Tree mission to help 200 kids this year

GOOSE CREEK—For more than 25 years, Goose Creek United Methodist Church has coordinated the Angel Tree mission with several other community churches, including Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. James UMC, St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, and this year, joined by the Oaks Wesleyan Church.

This mission provides gifts for students in area schools. Students are identified according to need by school guidance counselors. Gifts are also purchased for each child younger than the age of 13 in the families.

The participating schools include Mount Holly Elementary, Boulder Bluff Elementary, Goose Creek Elementary and Devon Forest Elementary.

This year the Angel Tree program in Goose Creek will provide gifts for 200 students and their siblings. Over the years, this project has brought joy to thousands of children in the community and to the generous church members who have bought the gifts.

Each year in early November, participating churches set up a Christmas tree that contains tags indicating the children’s gift wishes. Gifts are bought by individual members, collected by the churches and brought to Goose Creek UMC for distribution to the school counselors. They, in turn, distribute the gifts to parents before the Christmas break.

The success of this ministry hinges on the help of the participating churches and schools. Without the participation and generosity of each of the church members, this program could not exist.

Their constant faithfulness to this mission is a testament to their strong faith and their dedication to spreading God’s love in the world.