Hallettsville's Friench Simpson Memorial Library hosts 2nd annual Senior Giving Tree
The Senior Giving Tree has been a Friench Simpson Memorial Library holiday tradition since 2021.
About 150 Lavaca County seniors will receive an extra Christmas gift this year thanks to community members participating in the annual Senior Giving Tree at Hallettsville’s Friench Simpson Memorial Library.
Community Connections of Lavaca County (CCLC) began the holiday partnership with the library last year to provide gifts to seniors benefitting from the local Meals on Wheels program.
Participating seniors select gifts from a list of options, and their requests hang on a bright blue Christmas tree in the public library. From there, holiday spirit and charitability take over.
“Last year it went great, and this is the second year that we're doing it this way with the library and having the public pickup cards and do the shopping,” said CCLC Director Becky Janak. “We just bag up the items and send them out to the homebound clients that we serve meals to.”
Requested gifts range from socks and blankets to hats and toiletries. Friench Simpson Memorial Library Director Brenda Lincke Fissler said many community members were eager to help provide gifts for the elderly.
“I want to say we got more cards back this year. We were a little hesitant the first year, but (we have seen that) it is legitimate,” said Janak. “They're getting good quality stuff, and the public really enjoys shopping for them.”
CCLC volunteers plan to deliver the presents directly to seniors’ homes next week ahead of Christmas. United Way of the Crossroads supports the project by providing several small gift items to each recipient.