Giving Tree project begins

The Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with local businesses to help financially strapped families make ends meet through the holiday season.

Celebrating more than 20 years in the Mountain Home community, the Giving Tree program is an all-volunteer effort that helps hundreds of people here in the form of holiday gifts.

Hosted by the chamber's community activities committee, Giving Tree volunteers work with local relief agencies to identify families in need of assistance during the holidays.

"Our goal is to provide 'something from Santa' for as many individuals as possible who would not receive anything otherwise," said Giving Tree co-chair Vickie Bermensolo.

While these families also receive support through and the Shop With A Cop programs, the Giving Tree focuses on providing other basic needs, including clothes, personal items and school supplies. In 2012, the program provided help to 435 children from 187 families in the Mountain Home area.

Decorated Giving Trees feature wish-list tags. To participate in the effort, people simply take one of these tags and buy gifts for the individual listed on them.

By accepting a tag, they essentially "adopt" someone for the holidays, according to Bermensolo. In some cases, the generosity of local people allows them to, in essence, "play Santa" to an entire family, she added.

The Giving Tree tags became available starting Monday. People may find them at the chamber office, city hall, Paul's Market, Lucky Perk, Home Federal, Grinde's Diner, St. Luke's Elmore medical center, Wal-Mart, both Edward Jones offices, Elmore County Courthouse, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and Bealls Department Store.

People may drop off their unwrapped donations at the chamber office, Bealls, the Edward Jones office on American Legion Boulevard, Grinde's Diner, Home Federal Bank, Lucky Perk, Paul's Market, St. Luke's Elmore and Wal-Mart.

They may also drop off their gifts at the Giving Tree Workshop, located at the Caldwell Transportation Company, 1050 Sunset Strip. The building will serve as the Giving Tree workshop where volunteers collect, wrap and distribute gifts.

Giving Tree representatives need all gifts by Dec. 12.

In addition, the all-volunteer group needs volunteers to organize and wrap the donated items at the workshop starting in early December, Bermensolo said. Volunteers can sign up by calling the chamber at 587-4334 or by stopping by the workshop.

In addition, the Giving Tree group put out a call this week for donations of wrapping paper, T-shirt size gift boxes, tissue paper and scotch tape. People may drop off these items at the chamber office.

For more information on the Giving Tree program or to make a contribution or donation, contact the chamber at 587-4334 or the Giving Tree committee via e-mail at MHCGivingTree@yahoo.com.