by Jordan Smith
This holiday season Mesa County Libraries teamed up with the Catholic Outreach Program to provide gifts and various goods for families in need.
Each year around Christmas time Mesa County Libraries participate in the charity event called The Giving Tree.
This event allows the opportunity for locals of Mesa County to give gifts to homeless, or low-income families who have received services from the Catholic Outreach Program during the past year.
Betsy Dick, head of Mesa County Library District, partnered with the Catholic Outreach Program five years ago with the goal of helping homeless families during the holidays. The Giving Tree has been an annual charity that provides about 150 gifts each holiday season.
Christmas trees were set up, and each was decorated with many tags containing information for whoever chooses to help. The information includes an item that a participating family has asked for with a price no more than $25.
Locals are allowed to pick a tag and bring the gift back to the library. On Dec. 13, volunteers at Catholic Outreach Program come together to wrap the gifts for the families who have asked for them.
Ellen Reimer, the volunteer coordinator at Catholic Outreach Program, explained each year, no more than 150 gifts are received through the charity to help the families in need.
“Most years every tag is taken off the trees,” Reimer said. “It’s a collaboration between us and the library and allows everyone in the community to work together. Those at the library see homeless individuals often, and I think that’s what started it.”
The Director of Communication and Development at the Catholic Outreach Program, Beverly Lampley, explained that the facility is utilized by homeless individuals to shower, store valuable items, receive phone messages and mail and also receive mental and physical health care.
“We house chronically homeless individuals who have been diagnosed with physical and mental disabilities,” Lampley said.
The five Mesa County Library locations that participate in the Giving Tree are Grand Junction, Clifton, Debeque, Fruita and Palisade.
The event will continue through Saturday, Dec. 10. Any person taking part in the gifting must bring their present back to the library before the date for the families to receive it on time.
