Glen Mar’s Wish Upon a Star Ministry is an annual Christmas program that provides gifts and gift cards to families in need living in our area.
The families are selected by organizations Glen Mar works with and are listed at the end of this blog. Families then identify “wish lists” of gifts that are provided to our Glen Mar team. The team uses these “wish lists” as the basis of the gifts that we ask our congregation to provide.
Three Ways to Support this Ministry in 2021
- Sign-up online for stars that identify gift requests using the links below to SignUpGenius. These links will be active beginning November 7 through 28. If you select a gift card, you will be provided two purchase options in SignUpGenius.
- Take stars that identify gift requests in the Gathering Place before and after services on Sundays, November 7, 14, 21, and 28.
- Give checks that will be used to purchase gifts and gift cards for stars that are not taken. Make checks payable to Glen Mar with WUAS in the memo line.
What You Need to Know About Returning Gifts (including Gift Cards) and About Giving Checks
All gifts must be new.
Please do not wrap gifts.
If you selected a star in the Gathering Place, do the following:
- Tape or otherwise attach the star to the clothing/toy gift for identification.
- Place gift cards in an envelope labeled with your name and attach the star.
If you signed up online via SignUpGenius, do the following:
- Label each clothing/toy gift with the Gift ID in the gift description on SignUpGenius.
- For gift cards, follow the instructions on SignUpGenius based on your method of payment.
Gifts and gift cards may be returned:
- To the Gathering Place between 9 am and 12:15 pm on Sundays, November 14, 21, 28 and December 5.
- An outside drop-off location at the base of the lower parking lot will be available between 9:00 and 11:00 am on Sundays, November 28 and December 5.
IMPORTANT: Final deadline for gifts or checks to be dropped off is 12:15 pm on Sunday, December 5 in the Gathering Place.
How It All Comes Together
The Wish Upon a Star Organizing Team does the work of collecting, sorting and packing gifts for families sponsored by each organization and assuring the gifts are either picked up by the sponsoring organization or delivered to them. Each organization then delivers the gifts to the families who will wrap the gifts. The organizing team consists of Van Beall, Lynette Calkins, Stephanie Kehres, Mary McKay, Joan Marshall, and Alison Zuzak.
The End Result
Glen Mar plans to provide gifts for 30 families plus 10 youth as well as furnish Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center gift cards for distribution to their residents.
People who cannot afford to buy gifts or food for their families will receive gifts at Christmas through the generous giving of Glen Mar’s congregation. We will be fulfilling the Biblical principles that “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same’” (Luke 3:11) and “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
Organizations That Select Gift Recipients
- Ames Memorial United Methodist Church in Baltimore
- Judy Center in Howard County
- Howard County Public School System
- Hope Works of Howard County
- UMC Board of Child Care
- Eva Johnson Foundation
- Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
Questions?
Contact us by email.
