Hope Tree Bring Hope and Joy to Families in Georgia

At Lutheran Services of Georgia, we’ve just wrapped up another incredible year of our Hope Tree program.  Thanks to generous donations from our friends and supporters, the children and families we serve are able to experience the joy and hope of the holiday season.  In the truest spirit of Christmas, our donors provided toys, clothing, warm coats and cozy blankets to those who might otherwise not receive a gift.

This year's donations from churches, businesses, community organizations, LSG Board members and other friends of LSG, brought smiles to the faces of more than 1140 individuals throughout Georgia. Gifts were given to

• 99 children in our Foster Care program
• 198 children of parents in our Family Intervention Services program
• 98 adults and children with developmental disabilities in our FACES program
• 897 Refugee families who have been recently resettled by LSG

Christ the King Lutheran Church in Peachtree Corners provided gifts for 125 individuals.  Good Shepherd Lutheran in Woodstock provider 179 shoeboxes filled with gifts and necessities for children ages 9-18.  Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta donated gift for more than 100 adults and children and allowed us to use their church for sorting our gifts for the Atlanta refugees.

  Gift sorting at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

 In addition to the toys for the children, each refugee receives a winter coat.  Our refugees arrive from warm weather climates and need appropriate attire for the colder days.  The coats were delivered just in time for the recent dip in temperature.

A young refugee boy opens a gift

The local nonprofit For The Kid In All of Us provided more than 150 toys for Hope Tree as a part of their annual Toy Party toy drive.  In addition, other community groups and nonprofits such as Helping Mamas and Little Helpers provided a number of gifts.

Gifts from For The Kid in All of Us

Donors helped provide gifts to our Rome location for 50 children and adults in our Foster Care and FACES (disability services) programs in Northwest Georgia. 

A portion of gift received for our Rome FACES and Foster Care clients.

Local Savannah businesses such as Memorial Health University Clinics (pictured) and Arconic manufacturing provided gifts for Savannah area families.  Other donations in Savannah were provided by local churches and other individual donors.

On behalf of all of those we serve - the recipients of these generous contributions - and our staff, we thank all the churches, organizations, and businesses that donated items for Hope Tree.  In addition, more than 40 LSG Board members and community members donated gifts.

We thank the following organizations for their donations:

Atlanta

• Christ Lutheran (Oakwood)
• Christ the King Lutheran (Peachtree Corners)
• Christ the Shepherd Lutheran (Alpharetta)
• Conference 10 (Magi Conference) of the SE Synod ELCA
• Epiphany Lutheran (Conyers)
• Epiphany Lutheran (Suwanee)
• Faith Lutheran (Marietta)
• First United Lutheran
• For The Kid in All Of Us
• God Smile Inc
• Good Shepherd Lutheran (Woodstock)
• Grace Lutheran (Atlanta)
• Grace Lutheran (Carrollton)
• Helping Mamas
• Holy Trinity Lutheran (Marietta)
• Little Helpers
• Lutheran Church of Atonement
• Lutheran Church of the Incarnation
• Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (Atlanta)
• Living Hope Lutheran (Kennesaw)
• Lord of Life Lutheran (Alpharetta)
• Oak Road (Lilburn)
• Peachtree Road United Methodist Church
• Rivercliff Lutheran Church
• Rock of Ages Lutheran Church
• St. Paul Lutheran Church (Peachtree City)
• St. Stephen's Lutheran Church (Decatur)
• Trinity Lutheran Church

Albany

• Trinity Lutheran Church  
• MSA Surgery Center

Athens

• Christus Victor
• Trinity Lutheran Church

Columbus           

• St. Matthew (Columbus)                    

Rome

• Our Redeemer (Augusta)             
• Christ Lutheran (Marietta)              

Savannah

• Arconic Savannah
• Asbury Methodist
• Compassion Christian Church
• Hilton Head First Presbyterian
• Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency       
• Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church  
• Memorial Health University Clinics
• Mt. Calvary Lutheran (Warner Robins)     
• Redeemer Lutheran (Savannah)    
• St. James Catholic Church   
• St. John's Lutheran (Savannah)          
• St. Paul's Lutheran Preschool      
• St. Paul's WELCA (Savannah)    
• St. Paul's Lutheran Church