On Friday, December 12, from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, December 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., nearly 120 guests visited the Ministry Center here at First Presbyterian to pick up food and select clothing, shoes, and toys as part of Wheaton's CHRISTMAS SHARING program.

To make this possible over 150 First Presbyterian volunteers worked from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9, through Thursday, December 11, setting up tables and clothing racks, unloading trucks, sorting clothes and toys, filling food boxes, donating items and money, shopping for toys and other needed items, wrapping gifts, running errands, etc., with others volunteering on Friday and Saturday greeting and assisting guests, running errands, carrying food boxes and clothing bags, transporting guests, and cleaning up, with everyone helping spread the joy and peace of Christmas.  The Ministry Center was then readied for our Celebration Service on Sunday morning, December 14, 2008.

Our LOGOS program was cancelled for Christmas Sharing week, but many of our middle schoolers spent Wednesday afternoon and evening volunteering for Christmas Sharing.

Nearly 40 years ago, Gary United Methodist Church members began this program for seven needy families. With the addition of other churches and the input of Wheaton/Warrenville School District 200 and the township offices, the entire program now serves over 600 families.  Our mission is to provide a Christian connection to these needy families while we help clothe and feed them.

The photos below show just a few of our volunteers transforming the Ministry Center into a store ready for our guests.