School 'Giving Tree' Delivers Holiday Gifts for Children in Need

Families at Beverly’s Shore Country Day School donated 450 gifts for the school’s annual ‘Giving Tree’ program, making holiday wishes come true for some 225 local children in need.

Giving Tree parent-organizers Elaine Horrocks, Beth Webber, and Michelle Langille worked with five North Shore agencies to identify children who might not otherwise receive gifts this season: Jewish Family Services, North Shore Community Access Program, Department of Children and Family Services, and the Autism Support Group.

The agencies collected holiday wish lists from the children they serve, and then provided the information to the organizers, who created hundreds of individual gift cards that were hung on two Giving Trees and a Giving Menorah in the lobby of the historic Winslow Building.

Students from every grade visited the Trees and Menorah in small groups to choose one or more gift tags, which indicated the name, age, and gift wishes of one child in need. With shopping help from parents, students returned throughout the holiday season to drop off bags filled with the gifts for the recipient whose card they chose. Many bags held much needed winter coats, hats, or gloves, while others contained toys, sports items, and more.

Said program co-organizer Elaine Horrocks, “The support we provide these agencies during the holiday season is so vital and truly appreciated by the agencies and families involved. We are so grateful to Shore parents for their help this year: many, many families provided gifts for more than one child. The generosity of the Shore parent community is always inspiring!”

The gift bags were delivered by parent and student volunteers in early December—perfect timing for those in need of a little holiday cheer.