The spirit of Christmas was in the air when Hillcrest Christian Ed youth decorated and filled eighteen shoebox-sized containers for the families being housed through Winter Nights Family Shelter. Each box contained a hat, gloves, socks, and personal items such as body wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste, along with a handwritten note to the recipient.
This year, those being housed include three infants under 9 months and five children ranging in age from 2 – 17 years old. Each infant received one of Hillcrest’s layettes packed full of clothes and baby items, and each child received a handmade quilt and a stuffed animal. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Hillcrest members, each family also received a $25 gas card. The Winter Nights Family Shelter program has provided housing for families since 2004. And, each year, Hillcrest Church members have provided a week’s worth of meals and volunteer assistance to help support this awesome program.
Thank you to the Christian Ed youth for putting your love and thoughtfulness into the gift boxes. As it is written in Matthew 25:40, “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”