Imagine spending Christmas without your family and friends, without traditions, without a turkey, stockings over the fireplace, Christmas carols, the gingerbread house, nativity scene and presents wrapped under the tree that you don't have.

 

This is how Christmas could have been spent at the Mission, but the Lincoln community and PCM made sure that our guests were provided a traditional Christmas and enjoyed the warmth of Christ's love.

 

Here are a few highlights from the 2008 Christmas:

 

Brand new coats were donated to some of our men.  This coat in particular was specially ordered for a gentlemen needing a size 6x.  This donor didn't want anyone to be left out!

 

Gifts donated to the Mission were organized into a store for parents to shop for themselves and their children.  Parents with children living outside the Mission were allowed to pick out and mail their gifts.  This format allowed for parents to take part in what their children opened on Christmas morning!  Volunteers were also available during the shopping days to assist guests in gift selection, and to also help with wrapping the gifts.

 

On December 20th, the Men's Shelter and Curtis Center held a Christmas Party!  Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments were served while the men opened their gifts.  Santa even made a surprise appearance!

 

It was a group effort decorating the tree in the Curtis Center!

 

On Christmas Day, the kitchen cooked ham, turkey, sweet potatoes, corn and lots more goodies so that our guests could enjoy a nice Christmas meal with their family and friends here at PCM.

 

Thanks to everyone who donated gifts to our guests this year.  Thanks to your generosity, most of our men have brand-new workboots, every guest received warm gloves, scarves, and hats, our children had plenty of toys, and moms received cookware, bed linens, and household items for their future homes. 

 

What a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our homeless king, by bringing gifts to the homeless in our own city! 

Thanks so much to those who've supported People's City Mission this past year.  We're excited to see what God has in store for PCM in 2009 and confident that He will continue to provide for the less-fortunate through the generosity of His people.