Many thanks to Ruth Circle, Harriet Beeler and Lenora Smith, Co-Presidents, for hosting the annual Mitten Tree on Sunday evening, December 14.  The soups were all delicious and the Fellowship Hall looked very festive.   Our Youth put on an unforgettable Christmas story for us to enjoy.   The parts of Mary and Joseph were especially dear!  Thank you, Michelle Schluttenhofer.

Thank you to our congregation for donating a record number of new mittens, gloves, scarfs, hats, and underwear for the Lafayette School Corporation children.  735 articles were donated, up from 607 last year.  We also had $289 cash donated, which will also go the LSC.  Shirley and Dick Ellsworth will make the delivery for us. 

The Mitten Tree was begun in 1963 by the CWF Members Lucille Maris, Betty Mowery, and Marge Griffin, when they learned that some children in the LSC could not attend school on especially cold days because they didn't have enough warm clothing.

Many years ago, Ruby Ward, CWF Vice President, wrote this poem to thank everyone who attended the Mitten Tree Supper:

The pieces have been spoken

The carols have been sung

We hope you liked the efforts

Of our grown-ups and young.

We hope we have brought you

Much joy and  Christmas cheer

And that, God willing,

You'll come back next year.

The CWF does hope you'll come back next year, and remember to pick up mittens, gloves, scarves, hats, and underwear as you shop throughout the coming year!  Thanks again to Ruth Circle and to everyone who contributed or helped to make this a memorable Mitten Tree Supper.

Carolyn Henry

CWF President

THANK YOU for all you did to make Jubilee Christmas 2014 the biggest success EVER. I am certain you are feeling a little bit more tired this morning than usually -- but I hope it because of a great sense of pride and accomplishment. I was so very fortunate to be able to visit 12 different sites -- and the excitement and love at each site was powerful and contagious. That was created by YOU!

Collectively you made super-heroes of the parents (guardians) of 600 families and have brought Christmas joy to over 1600 children. You also served your parish or organization very well -- creating numerous opportunities for your members to engage in making our community a much better place for those of our neighbors who are less fortunate than we. You mobilized thousands of volunteers and donors to collect and distribute over $250,000 worth of toys, food and gift cards -- all of which were purchased and will be spent locally.

I would also like to thank all of your pastors for their continued support of LUM -- especially Jubilee Christmas. Special thanks to the LUM team who worked Jubilee Christmas Day, and prior, to support the program and make this all happen -- including Linda Hicks, Sandra Dunn Dunn-El, Mary Anderson, Eileen Weiss, Tricia Sembroski...and of course Joe Micon. Thank YOU again for a memorable day of love and giving -- and Jubilee Christmas joy.