Hundreds of children and families will have gifts under their tree on Christmas morning thanks to the volunteer work and community generosity through the Isanti County Christmas Project.
The Isanti County Christmas Project is coordinated by the Isanti Lions Club, which took the project over from Isanti County back when there were only 30 or so individuals requesting holiday gifts. Since then, the Christmas Project has really grown.
Photos by Ashley Haynes
Joe Mau, coordinator of the Christmas Project, said so far he has around 325 recipients of presents this year but will continue to get calls until the pickup date.
“We don’t turn anybody down,” he said.
Any Isanti County resident in need can apply for gifts from the Christmas Project through Isanti County Family Services. Mau is given the names of the recipients, and volunteers wrap and assemble boxes of presents and food to be distributed Dec. 19.
Gifts and funds for the Christmas Project come exclusively from community donations. No one involved gets paid, and all monetary donations go toward purchasing gifts and food for the families in need. Retail stores, banks, credit unions and schools throughout Isanti County have toy collection boxes. Minnco Credit Union sets up Angel Trees, where community members can sponsor a child (represented as an ornament on the tree) for the Christmas Project.
On Dec. 14, a group of students from the Area Learning Center arrived at the Isanti Community Center to volunteer. They raised $130, which they spent on gifts for the Christmas Project. They spent part of their day assembling cardboard boxes for gifts to be distributed in.
“It’s a lot of community involvement, which is great because without community involvement, it won’t work,” Mau said. “It’s a pretty big undertaking with that many families and that many kids, so without the community involvement it would be hard to do.”
The volunteers work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a week, sorting gifts and wrapping presents. Anywhere from 15 to 30 people show up each day to help.
“We get a lot of the same and a lot of new people,” Mau said of his volunteers. “I have people call me and say ‘I would like to help, when can I come?’ I don’t call people to ask them to volunteer. Every year people just show up.”
Joan Wicht, whose husband is part of the Lions Club, has been volunteering with the Christmas Project for about 25 years.
“It keeps us busy,” she said.
Judy Jones, from East Bethel, has been involved for about 15 years. She heard about the Christmas Project at a bingo game and decided to give it a try. She has kept coming back each year since.
“I enjoy it. It makes me feel good. I look forward to it every year,” she said.
Mau said people give to this project because it not only helps their neighbors and friends, but makes them feel good that they are able to do so. Volunteers are invisible to the families who receive their donations, but they can change the course of Christmas for a family in need.
“I think they’re making a statement that they want to give and help people,” Mau said. “There’s a lot of people out there that are willing to give and help people and it makes them feel good. I know people that will bring gifts in here, and some of them are working paycheck to paycheck, but they’re doing fine, so they want to help somebody who isn’t. For some people, it’s part of the season, Christmas giving.”
