Shepherd of the Hills brings gifts, joy with Christmas Just 4 Kids Project
Members and volunteers from the Shepherd of the Hills Ministries stand in front of some of the gifts donated to the Christmas Just 4 Kids Project. The items were packed in gift bags for families in need in time for the holidays. Pictured (left to right) are Ethan Friedrich, Pastor Susan Friedrich, Norman Friedrich, Bryce Heller and Kim Heller, all of Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkader. Pastor Susan Friedrich also serves Emanuel Lutheran Church, Strawberry Point.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
Since it started in 1968, the Shepherd of the Hills Ministries (SOTH) in St. Olaf has been there to help those in need. The faith-based organization has achieved this in numerous ways over the years.
One of those is through the Christmas Just 4 Kids Project, a donation based initiative that provides Christmas gifts for infants and school aged kids throughout the local communities. It is a way to give to those who don’t have or fill in the gaps for things they need, and sometimes want.
It is spreading the spirit of Christmas, or as SOTH Director Heather Crogan aptly put it, “doing God’s work.”
The project long predates the arrival of Crogan, who took over as director in 2016 after being called on by a friend who believed she would be perfect for the job. After some deep thought and prayers, and recognizing the importance of faith in her life and helping others, she accepted the position.
Over the years, the project has grown to the point it is basically self-sustaining, as local organizations, businesses and community members pitch in, taking it upon themselves to start the donation drives and make the yearly drop-off. It’s marked on the calendar as a will-do holiday event while the SOTH sends out an email blast and promotes it via social media as friendly reminders or for the unaware who also might want to help.
The entire process, in the mind of Crogan, shows how genuine the community is and how much people care for each other. Those being cared for by the project are families in need or crisis who have been referred to the SOTH by a state agency, local church or school.
As for the donations, which get an assist from Toys For Tots Dubuque, Crogan stated, “the community has been very good to us.”
“We live in a very giving community all around us in Clayton County. We could not do what we do at SOTH without the community that believes in us, because everything that happens at SOTH is funded by the communities we serve,” Crogan added, “and Christmas Just 4 Kids is kind of a longstanding, special program.”
While the donation and referral system has been in place for years, one thing that has changed recently, given the nature of the pandemic, is how gifts are distributed. In years prior to the pandemic, families went to SOTH and picked items according to wants, needs and an established gift guide. Over the last two years, volunteers have packed gift bags with the items and families pick bags up at a designated time.
This also led to another change implemented by Crogan: the addition of a “likes” section on the referral forms for the families to fill out, so volunteers can fill the gift bag with items each kid either wants or needs, or to fulfill a like, rather than blindly guessing.
The gift bags all have a pre-arranged assortment of items, some of which are handmade, including a quilt, blankets, books, puzzles, pajamas, clothing items, stocking stuffers, pillowcase, hats, gloves, scarves and age appropriate toys and gifts. The “likes” make the volunteer’s job easier and ensures each child will get something they desire on Christmas morning.
Crogan stated there is “hope among the families that SOTH returns to the old way where they can pick out their items,” but she also added the gift bag and pick-up idea has been well received. So, for now, the future of that issue is yet to be determined.
Another change has been in the donations themselves, as Crogan stated SOTH has received more monetary donations the last two years. But Crogan was very clear those donations go directly to purchasing gifts and supplies for the families in the project.
One area this money is spent is providing for the 11 and older aged kids, who Crogan admitted are a hard age group to donate gifts for, mostly because their interests are more varied, the gifts are more expensive and each family dynamic is different as kids reach the pre-teen age and beyond. SOTH fills in the gaps as best as possible, utilizing the referral forms “likes” section.
In a typical year, Christmas Just 4 Kids helps more than 475 children. This year, that number was around 375, down a little bit, but still a massive number in the grand scheme of things.
This number is reflective of something positive: there are more organizations and institutions holding their own gift drives, and families have more places to turn to for assistance. Crogan said that number should not be viewed in a negative light, but rather as a positive sign that so many other people are willing to help.
“In the communities that we serve, we have a wonderful community, and in many of those districts, there are other organizations and businesses and the school that operate and do similar things,” she said. “These programs are starting to pick up elsewhere and that’s a good thing because people know that there is a need in our communities and they’re stepping up to help fill that need. So, they may not be coming specifically to SOTH for the Christmas Just 4 Kids Project, but they are being served by another community organization, so that’s a good thing.”
It should be noted that, beyond this project, SOTH also helps over 85 families a month, providing them with clothing, household items, shoes, and toys, among other much needed items. When it comes to this help, Crogan suggested it all goes back to an old biblical adage about helping your neighbors and to “love your neighbor.”
“If there is a need in our community, what we’ve found, like-minded people will step up and help those less fortunate in our community. We’re doing God’s work. That’s the importance of it,” Crogan said.
