Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona announces application dates

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona program is inviting families in need to sign up for the annual gift-giving program.

The program’s main priority is to provide gifts to children 18 years of age and younger and individuals 60 years of age and older. Families will only be able to report gift requests for family members in these age ranges.

Thanks to the generosity of the Winona community, the program — in its 12th year — helps more than 1,600 people have a much happier holiday season.

Families may pick up an application form through one of the human service agencies that they work with (Project FINE, Winona County Community Services, Winona Senior Advocacy Program or Winona Volunteer Services).

Completed application forms must be returned to Winona Volunteer Services (402 E. 2nd St.) from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, or 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4. SMU volunteers will be available for assistance on these dates.

This program exists through the generosity of the Winona community, as well as the work of other community partners including: Winona Volunteer Services, Winona Radio and the Winona Post.

Giving trees go up this week for Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona giving trees will be going up before Thanksgiving. This communitywide program — in its 11th year — is providing gifts to area children and seniors in need this holiday season.

Tags, each labeled with a different person’s holiday gift wishes, will be placed on area giving trees this week. Gifts for Winona’s main priority is to provide gifts to children 18 years of age and younger and individuals 60 years of age and older.

Trees will be located at: the three Severson-Sinclair locations, Walmart, the Winona Public Library, the Winona Post, as well as Security State Bank of Lewiston. Additionally, grocery cards can be purchased for families.

Individuals who want to help make someone’s season a little merrier should visit one of these locations, take as many tags off the trees as they wish, and return the gifts by Dec. 12 to the tree where they obtained the tags. The recommended amount for holiday gifts is approximately $35 per person. Tags should be securely taped to the outside of the presents or the bag of presents.

As the gift distribution is early this year — mid December — the community is asked to begin their season of giving early as well. The success of this program depends on the generosity of the Winona-area community.

For more information, call the Gifts for Winona line at (507) 457-8719. Other community partners that join SMU to help make this program possible are the Winona Post, Winona Radio and Winona Volunteer Services.

Saint Mary’s donates $1,400 to Volunteer Services Food Shelf

Saint Mary’s University donated $1,400 to Winona Volunteer Services to be used for the Food Shelf. The money was raised through campuswide fundraisers including potlucks and “Jeans for a Cause” Fridays. Presenting the check to Sandra Burke, center right, executive director for Winona Volunteer Services, are SMU Volunteer Committee members, from left: Cindy Marek, Coral Henthorne and Laurie Haase.

Saint Mary’s Gifts for Winona grateful for Winona’s generosity

There wouldn’t be room to sign this letter with 1,400 signatures of thanks.

Those 1,400 people include close to 950 children who will excitedly rip open presents to find new toys and clothes this holiday season. I hope you all feel a sense of warmth knowing that so many of these children and teens will be ready for the winter with their new winter boots, mittens and coats.

Additionally, about 100 seniors are thanking you for a variety of basic necessities, including silverware, coats and blankets.

Because of the enormous growth of this program, Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona modified its program this year; youth younger than 18 and seniors older than 60 were eligible to apply. But, because of the outpouring of generosity of our donors, every family received either groceries or a grocery card as well. These families thank you for the food that will now fill their holiday tables.

Because of you, these families have been given presents for their trees and hope in their hearts. For the eighth year in a row, our community has made sure that no one goes home empty handed.

We know that our donors never see the families they help. They write checks and shop for presents for people they’ll never meet. And, they never get to hear the heartfelt “thank yous” or see the smiles and tears these families share with us when they receive their gifts. It is this kind of blind generosity that overwhelms us with humble thanks.

As we count our blessings for the past and upcoming years, we should also remember those less fortunate whose material blessings are just a little harder to come by this year. We hope and pray that 2010 will have many wonderful things in store for these families.

The Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona volunteers will say an extra special thanks to all of you, including:

• the program’s additional partners, Winona Radio, Winona Post and Winona Volunteer Services;
• the many shoppers, wrappers, data-entry volunteers, sorters and organizers, who put in long hours without complaint;
• the many sponsoring businesses, schools, churches and organizations who helped groups of 10 or more;
• every individual who took a tag off of a tree or donated money;
• Fleet Farm for donating orange bags, Walmart for its generous donation; and our friends at Cars & Credit who always make sure there are no tags left.
• the Winona National banks, the Winona Public Library, Videoland, Scrapper’s Haven, Affinity Plus, Winona Post and Security State Bank for sponsoring giving trees;
• referral agencies who provided support;
• the staff and patrons of the Valéncia Arts Center for allowing us to take over the building for one of the gift distributions, and Fran at the Resource Center in St. Charles for helping to distribute gifts;
• and the area media for helping spread the word about this program and how to help.

We continue to be very blessed to be part of such a caring community.

Saint Mary’s Gifts for Winona gifts due Dec. 11

WINONA, Minn. — The deadline is fast approaching to return gifts to the Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona giving trees. Because the community distribution is early, gifts MUST be returned to giving trees by Friday, Dec. 11!

Approximately 1,400 tags went out through the program this year. The early deadline is a priority so that this large number of gifts may be properly sorted and recorded.

Because of the overwhelming generosity of the Winona community, tags may no longer be available.

Those individuals who have already taken tags should return their wrapped packages (with tags securely fastened) to the tree where they got the tag. Trees are located at the Winona Public Library, Scrapper’s Haven, the three Winona National Bank locations, Videoland, the Winona Post, Affinity Plus, and Security State Bank in Lewiston. Donors are asked to spend about $30 per person.

Tax-deductible contributions can also be made out to Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona and sent to 700 Terrace Heights #8, Winona, Minn., 55987.

The Winona Post, Winona Radio and Winona Volunteer Services join Saint Mary’s University in helping to make this program a success.