“An Awesome Program”

On Christmas morning, children deserve to wake up and find some gifts under the tree. But not all families can afford it.

That’s why the Mission’s Stars of Hope program exists — to ensure that children from low-income families receive Christmas presents. Qualified families can register at MorningStar to receive food baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and to participate in Stars of Hope. Over 200 children and 78 families will benefit this year.

“Stars of Hope is an awesome program,” says Tanicka, a single mother whose family has benefited from the program. “You want your kids to have a nice Christmas, and Stars of Hope does that. We are so grateful.”

Everyone who registers for the program gets to make a “wish” list and a “needs” list. Parents or guardians can fill out a form for their children 17 and younger. Parents can also turn in their own lists.

Each list then becomes a star that donors can adopt — red stars for needs and green stars for wishes. Donors purchase items from the star and drop them off at the Mission, where families then pick up the gifts in plenty of time for Christmas.

Tanicka says she and her three young boys have been overwhelmed at the generosity of those who purchase items for Stars of Hope … and she makes sure her sons know that it’s all made possible by the kindness of strangers.

Stars of Hope and our many other programs can only happen with the generous support of friends like you. Thank you for your kindness!