Sharing Christmas Through Middleton Outreach Ministry:
Connecting Neighbors for Good

• “What can I do to make the holidays happier for someone else?”
• “Is there a volunteer opportunity for my family, so my children can experience what Christmas really means?”
• “My whole office wants to celebrate the holidays by having a food drive: what does the Food Pantry need most?”

Middleton Outreach Ministry gratefully fields questions like these on a daily basis during the holidays. People in our community have great hearts, and they are hungry for ways to make this season a time rich with sharing and celebration. They want their children to experience the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas as more than a cycle of mandatory shopping and pageants and parties (though each of those have their place). People want meaningful family time. Or they may approach Christmas with their own emptiness—so that finding a way to connect with others in an act of sharing and generosity makes their own season meaningful.

At Middleton Outreach Ministry we connect community members who feel a need to give, with other neighbors who are stretched so thin that they struggle to find a way to have a Christmas celebration at all for their children.

MOM’s website, www.mompop.org, offers an abundance of Christmas giving programs and volunteer opportunities, so we encourage community members to visit us online. Or call the MOM office at 836-7338. Consider these possibilities:

Kick off December with Middleton’s Holiday Home Tour, Festival of Trees, and Silent Auction--Saturday, December 2 from 10am-4pm and Sunday, December 3 from 10am-3pm. This weekend offers a tour of four beautifully decorated Victorian homes featuring sights, sounds and smells of the Holiday season—all provided by area Middleton & Madison businesses. In addition, an Artist & Craft Holiday Fair and Festival of Trees will be hosted at The Jefferson, located on Old Sauk Road. The Silent Auction in this Festival will donate 100% of its proceeds to MOM for Christmas needs. So get involved!

• Donate an art, craft, or product to the Silent Auction. (Or offer an experience others would gladly pay to enjoy!) Call Gail Johnson, 836-4891 x 225.
• Many Volunteers are needed to help with hosting at the Victorian homes, to help with the Silent Auction, or even to bring a musical group to the Jefferson to sing during the Festival of Trees either day. Call Carole Klopp at MOM, 826-3409.

Share Christmas gifts and trimmings with a family in need by signing up for MOM’s “Sharing Christmas” Program (formerly Adopt-a-Family). To adopt a family, people are matched with a client family for whom they purchase gifts. They receive names and gift suggestions for every member of the family. The donor purchases and wraps the gifts and delivers them to the family (or to the MOM office) the week before Christmas. In 2005 MOM served 270 families, so we anticipate needing many donors this Christmas season. Registration forms and FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) can be found at www.mompop.org, or visit or call the MOM office, 836-7338. Note: MOM cannot accept donations of toys because we don’t have an effective way to distribute them. The Salvation Army’s “Toys for Tots” is a great alternative!

MOM also distributes Gift Cards (in amounts around $25) to families who are not matched with a donor, or to give to families in greater need. Popular stores include WestTowne Mall, Kohls, Target, Toys-R-Us and Old Navy. Many families enjoy being able to shop themselves for gifts for their children and wouldn’t be able to do so without these donations. Gift Certificates/Cards can be dropped off or mailed to Ellen at the MOM office, 7432 Hubbard Avenue, Middleton.

Alternative Gift Cards are also available at the MOM office or through MOM’s thirteen sponsor churches—for that family member or friend who already has everything and doesn’t want more “stuff.” For a financial donation to MOM in any amount over $20, you get a special card telling your “giftee” that their gift this year helps a needy family with essentials like rent, utility bills, or food. Your giving is twice blessed!

Finally, consider attending or contributing to MOM’s 26th annual free Christmas dinner, ChristmasFest, held at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church. The guests and volunteers include a rich mix of people, connecting with each other in a very special way. If you’re reading this, you’re invited to participate in any or all of MOM’s Christmas programs and events. It’s all part of MOM’s catalyst role in the community: Connecting Neighbors for Good.

© 2005 Middleton Outreach Ministry

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