Cory's Valley Market employees (L-R): Tasha Ruth, Ryan Francis, Steven Vernarsky, Emily Halsted and Renita Ruth having fun packing the Holiday Food Baskets Dec. 20.
Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church members wrapped 139 gifts for 25 families on Dec. 18. The gifts filled the sanctuary.
Seeley Lake Fire Department Captain John Baker, Auxiliary Member and Angel Tree Coordinator Tabitha Bailey, Maintenance Manager Nathan Bailey, Administrative Assistant Lakaya Lemons, Santa, Lieutenant Rita Rossi and Fire Chief Dave Lane ready to deliver gifts out of the ambulance Dec. 22.
Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church sanctuary decorated for the fourth Sunday in Advent.
Cory's Valley Market employee Tasha Ruth organizing the Holiday Food Baskets to make sure everything fits.
The Holiday Food Baskets were filled to the brim with fixings for a full turkey dinner complete with a pumpkin pie for dessert.
SEELEY LAKE – In addition to all the events this year allowing families to shop and pick up gifts, three groups operated behind the scenes with help from the community to bring gifts and a holiday meal to community members. Mountain Lakes Church continued their Giving Tree at Cory's Valley Market, the Seeley Lake Fire Foundation offered their Angel Tree and the Seeley Lake Lions Club delivered Holiday Food Baskets to families who could use a hand up this Christmas.
The Giving Tree went up at Cory's Valley Market just after Thanksgiving. Since its inception more than 30 years ago, the Giving Tree has always been a Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Women's project. However, the entire congregation took it on in 2019 when the two main organizers passed away.
"This really gets to the heart of my congregation," said Pastor Carrie Benton in a 2019 interview. "We have been blessed as a congregation. It is such a blessing to be able to give back to families."
Parents or guardians indicated a clothing item and one toy that were needed and/or wanted by their children or youth under the age of 18. For each child there was a card on the Giving Tree with age, gender and a gift to purchase. Community members selected a card and signed it out and returned the gift unwrapped. The goal is to connect with local families and bring a bit of Christmas joy to them.
On Dec. 18, Mountain Lakes members met at the church, wrapped 139 gifts for 25 families and enjoyed lunch together. There were some very generous donations this year including a like-new Burton snowboard with boots donated by an area organization for a child that wanted "something to play with in the snow." On Dec. 20, parents and guardians picked up their gifts at the church.
"Thank you to Cory's Valley Market for again hosting the Giving Tree," Benton wrote in an email. "And thank you to everyone who has contributed, wrapped, prayed and participated in this amazing ministry to the families in our community for so many years! Because of your faithfulness and generosity, so many are blessed."
Seeley Lake Fire Chief Dave Lane suggested the idea for the Angel Tree. In 2018, the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Foundation sponsored the tree as an opportunity for less privileged children in the Seeley Lake community to receive gifts. Since then the Seeley Lake Auxiliary and the volunteers have gotten involved in the effort.
The first year volunteers delivered gifts to 19 girls and boys in the community. All the gifts fit in the back of Lane's pickup.
This year it grew to 13 families and 38 children, including Potomac residents. While the Angel Tree was originally set up to help families in Seeley Lake, Lane said anyone in the area can sign up for an angel on the tree.
"We will help any needy kids, we just can't deliver because it is so far," Lane said.
On Dec. 22, the Fire Department volunteers filled the back of one ambulance. Santa joined a caravan of two ambulances, a fire engine and the Chief's command vehicle and they delivered gifts.
Lane said there were a few organizations and businesses that picked up angels this year including the Seeley Lake Lions Club, Loving Hearts and All Decked Out.
"They all came in and took some angels and made it happen," Lane said. "People in the community were very generous."
The Lions Club, in collaboration with the Valley Market, has delivered Holiday Food Baskets the Monday before Christmas since 1984. The Lions Club purchases all the groceries and Cory's Valley Market does all the ordering and packaging the boxes. The goal is to help spread the holiday spirit to folks who might need a little extra help.
In the past, the Lions have delivered more than 35 boxes to area families. However due to families moving or people passing away, this year only 25 boxes were made with all the fixing for a turkey dinner complete with a pumpkin pie. Eight Lions members delivered Dec. 20.
"It went well," wrote Lion Cheryl Lewis in an email. "We notified folks beforehand as much as possible so they knew to be home. Cory's crew was excellent, as usual. We had some VERY GENEROUS donations this year, totaling close to $2,000!"
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