Over twenty four years ago, our church began a project with the goal of helping economically-challenged families secure appropriate gifts for their children at Christmas. As our friend and partner, Pastor Chris Simmons from the Cornerstone Baptist Church in south Dallas reminds us, ‘Every family in our neighborhood wants to have presents under the Christmas tree.’ So, our church began raising funds to transform our facility into a ‘store’ where parents/guardians could select Christmas presents and articles of clothing for their children. We call it a “Christmas Store” where parents can shop for free.

 

One of our highest values has been to demonstrate warmth and hospitality to each guest — their dignity is so important to us! We know that it can be uncomfortable coming to an unfamiliar place for the first time, so we put a premium on greeting people, sharing meals with them, getting to know a little more about their story, and building friendships. We are pleased to say that many beneficiaries of the Christmas Store have helped us serve others as well.