Giving Tree Program

THE GIVING TREE RETURNS!
The Catholic Community of Pleasanton is pleased to once again sponsor a Christmas Giving Tree (Adopt-a-Family) program. We will be collecting monetary donations as we did last year and then use those donations to purchase gift cards for the families.  With the continued COVID concerns and precautions throughout our Diocese, this is the best way to support the families we are adopting this year.
​"The amount of gratitude in the world increases one thoughtful person at a time."
- From one of the parishes that participates in the Giving Tree program.
WHAT IS THE SAME?
  • The nine participating parishes have said how very grateful they are that CCOP will sponsor the Giving Tree ministry again this year. They have expressed that their families are very much in need. 
  • As in other years, we have nine parishes who will participate, which includes our own St. Vincent de Paul at CCOP. They can each include 50 families to participate in the program. We will be adopting 477 families this year, which includes 2134 individuals, 1158 of which are children. 

WHAT IS DIFFERENT?
  • We will be giving gift cards only this year and plan to give one card per family. The family can then determine how to distribute and use the funds on the card.
  • Since we are providing gift cards, we are only asking the parishes to provide us with the family name, total number of people in the family, and number of family members in each of the age categories: senior, adult, teen, child, toddler, and infant.
  • The amount of the gift card given to the family will be based on the number of members.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
  • We are asking for only monetary donations. We can then purchase the gift card quantities at a bulk discount and in the denominations that we need. You  can donate through the parish website via tithe.ly by clicking on the "DONATE NOW" button below. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO SELECT "The Giving Tree" in the Give To field. You can also drop off a check through the mail slot at the St. Augustine rectory. Please write “Giving Tree” in the memo line, if dropping off a check.
  • We will accept the donations through Sunday, November 28th.

HOW WILL THE MONEY BE DISTRIBUTED?
  • Each family will receive one (or two) gift cards.
  • To be equitable, the value of the card(s) will be based on the number of members in the family.
  • ​The amounts will be determined after we have completed the collection.

We hope that you will continue supporting this wonderful ministry with as much love and generosity as you have in the past. We have provided a Q&A section that may answer some questions. Please contact Roxanne Rasmussen at roxanneras@gmail.com with any other questions.
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To donate, please click on the DONATE NOW button below. We hope that you will continue supporting this wonderful ministry with as much love and generosity as you have in the past! We have provided a Q&A section that may answer some questions. Please contact Roxanne Rasmussen at roxanneras@gmail.com with any other questions.
OUR GOAL
​$110,000.00

CURRENT TOTAL
$110,000.00

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THIS A GREAT SUCCESS!

WHAT YOUR INVOLVEMENT MEANS TO OTHERS

...one senior citizen told me that she was just "floored" by the beautiful bedspread that she was given. Her smile said it all.  

​"...abundant thanks for your generous offering to advance this beautiful program that will be wonderful to our families and will be a ray of hope for all."  

Another guest, when she saw the unexpected bicycle included with her bag of gifts, cried.  She had no idea whether or not any of the items she listed as gifts for her family would be granted and when she saw how large the bags (2) were and the bicycle rolled out for her, her emotional response was apparent to all of us.  

...this WAS the Christmas that she and her husband would not have been able to provide for their children.

...the smile on their faces even just for a moment is a joy to see.  Thank you and God bless you and the Catholic Community of Pleasanton for all you do.  

the families are thrilled with their gifts, and the children especially.  What a beautiful expression of love from your congregation.

Some simply said, "Thank you" for their gift cards, and I'm sure they, too, had a much better Christmas than they would have otherwise. 
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We do thank each of the CCOP parishioners and families and your team who delivered the gifts for helping to bring the Light of Christ's love, caring and hope to needy families and  for making their lives much brighter.  

FAQs (Frequently asked questions)

Why the change from adopting families to asking for monetary donations?
The safety precautions still in place limit our ability to gather in groups as we usually do to prepare the family envelopes, adopt the families, and collect and prepare the gift bags for delivery.  The parishes that we support have also said gathering in person to deliver gifts is very hard.

How can I decide how much money to donate?
You can contribute as much as you are willing or capable of at this time. All contributions regardless of amount are welcomed. A good guideline would be to donate as much money as you would normally have spent on the family that you would have adopted.

How can I be sure the gift cards given to the families will be used for the intended purpose of purchasing Christmas gifts for their families?
We give our gifts freely out of love for God and our neighbor. We can only control our giving; we trust the recipient to use the gift card wisely in a way that is the most help to them. Given the economic difficulties many people are facing due to the continued COVID-19 situation, these gift cards could be a blessing beyond just Christmas gifts for their family.

How will these gift cards be distributed?
Giving Tree Core Team members will personally deliver each parish’s gift cards to the parish contact person. We plan to include a Christmas card or note to each family from CCOP with the gift card. The parish contact will then organize the delivery to the families. This maintains the anonymity that has always been an important part of the Giving Tree ministry.

Will this process continue for 2022 or will we return to the process of adopting families?
It is our hope that we can return to our previous practice of adopting families, collecting and delivering the gifts in 2022.

How much money is needed to purchase a sufficient number of gift cards?
We typically have had over 2700 individuals among our 450 families. If we average about $50 in gifts for each person that bring us to over $115,000 needed. We will keep the parish informed of our progress through our website, Flocknotes, and other platforms.

How can I donate?
You can donate through the parish website via tithe.ly by clicking on the "DONATE NOW" button below. ​PLEASE MAKE SURE TO SELECT "The Giving Tree" in the Give To field. You can also drop off a check through the mail slot at the St. Augustine rectory. Please write “Giving Tree” in the memo line, if dropping off a check. We will accept the donations through Sunday, November 28th.