Our traditional Angel Tree gifts for local families on low and uncertain incomes will go this year to 37 families who have a total of 73 children. A festive gift bag will be delivered to each family containing a $50 ShopRite gift card and a $50 Amazon Gift Card for each child. The total cost to St Mary’s Outreach fund is $5,500. Thanks to TPS, the bag will also contain hats, scarves and gloves for all the family.

Many of these families have suffered as a result of sickness or unemployment, so this boost at the start of the winter will provide that little extra, and help to make that longed for ‘Happy Christmas’.

Stirred by the sight of homeless men living under the thruway just off Rte 59 on the way into Suffern, St Mary’s is buying sleeping bags for those and others, who, for various reasons, are afraid to go into the overnight warming shelters. Helping Hands of Rockland is assisting us in delivery and identifying others who are still sleeping rough. We are also funding 50 Macdonald’s gift cards at $15 each to give out at the bagged breakfast/ lunch program in Spring Valley.

We will be very grateful for any donations towards the Angel Tree and other Christmas Outreach. You can donate online or mail a check to St. Mary’s-in-Tuxedo PO Box 637, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987. Please write "Angel Tree" in the memo.

Funding of St. Mary’s Outreach is separate from pledged monies and donations which fund the running of the church. Outreach has income from an endowment that amounts to around $14,000 a year. Beyond that we depend on grants and donations. Grants amounted to $26,000 in 2020.

In 2020 our outreach to address hunger, homelessness, poverty, sickness, national disasters, and inequality of educational opportunity amounted to $121,000.
Many, many thanks for your generosity.

Sue Heywood, Outreach Chair