December 20, 2007

The Family Giving Tree faces shortfall of 15,000 gifts for needy children

Donations to the popular local holiday giving program The Family Giving Tree have been seriously affected by the numerous toy recalls this year and the recent downturn in the economy.

Almaden Girl Scout Troop 368 poses for a picture before getting to work wrapping gifts for low-income children in the Family Giving Tree’s huge warehouse. IBM’s Almaden campus and Leland High School are also huge supporters of the program. Leland teacher Carla Lucarotti goes so far as to claim she won’t retire until she receives 100 percent participation from students and staff! Photo by Julie Davis Berry

With the holidays just around the corner, the elves at the Family Giving Tree are busy wrapping and preparing presents for the 70,000 very low-income children they serve throughout the Bay Area. While the mood is merry in the volunteer-filled warehouse the executive director and queen elf, Jennifer Cullenbine, can’t hide her concern.

“Our donations are down 20 percent,” said Cullenbine. “That translates to nearly 15,000 gifts that we need to receive by Dec. 24 to fulfill all the children’s wishes. Of course, it doesn’t help that people are worried about the toy recalls. We would appreciate any donations that people can make online or just by picking up an extra gift and dropping it off at a Wells Fargo Bank. The most popular toys this year are remote-control cars and Bratz dolls.”

Volunteers are checking every single gift that comes into the warehouse against a detailed recall list to guard against any lead-tainted gifts ending up in the hands of a needy child.

The Family Giving Tree, an 18-year-old nonprofit, serves 240 social service agencies in the Bay Area ranging from City Team Ministries to Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence to EMQ Children & Family Services. It is one of the largest gift-giving programs in the nation and prides itself on being able to grant personalized wishes for every child they help.

To donate to the Family Giving Tree, visit www.FamilyGivingTree.org, where you may choose to sponsor an individual child or you give an online donation via the Internet. Or visit your local Wells Fargo Bank and pick up a gift tag to shop for a child.