Update on Cross-lines
Christmas TOY Store Ministry
Our Knox Church family has been a big part of the Cross-lines Christmas store ministry for many years. Your generosity and care in providing toys, books, games, and teen gifts is greatly appreciated! Thanks to so many of you who have invested time in serving others during the week the Christmas Store is open each December. And we are so grateful for Tom and Julie Larsen and Bob and Carolyn Webber (and those who have served before them) who have dedicated so many hours and service each year!
Because of the pandemic, the store will NOT operate as in past years. Cross-lines is unable to staff the Christmas store this year because of increasing demands on the staff and lack of volunteers. Despite extra help from major donors, the demand for providing assistance keeps increasing. Further, everything that takes place at Cross-lines takes much longer due to Covid precautions.
Cross-lines has a regular clientele of about 150 families with approximately 450 children who they plan to supply food and coats to this Christmas. The Knox Deacons have voted to use our toy funds to provide $20 gift cards for each child, which will cost approximately $9,000. Any monetary contributions by Knox members would be greatly appreciated. Cross-lines staff will hand out the gift cards for the children when the families come at their assigned times for food and coats.
Where do we go from here? We are not purchasing any more toys or bikes this year. An enormous thanks goes out to Greg Conway and Joan Cook for the work already done. If you have purchased gifts, please keep them, or put them in the toy bin at church and we will add them to the inventory already stored at Cross-lines.
It is a huge disappointment to not be able to serve as usual this year. Please pray for wisdom for leaders making decisions, for the families affected, and that God will continue to bless this ministry as we seek to share His love with those in need.