In partnership with Lancaster County Children & Youth (CYA), Giving Tree is an opportunity to extend the love of Christ to over 750 “at-risk” children by providing gift cards to be distributed this Christmas season.
How it Works
This year, you have the opportunity to purchase a $40 gift card to Target or Walmart for the child or youth named on your envelope. This gift card will empower the child’s parents to shop for and purchase Christmas presents for their own child under the supervision of the caseworker. The 50 youth in the Independent Living program will receive the gift card directly and be able to spend it under the supervision of their caseworker.
- Pick up an envelope in the lobby on November 16. Each envelope contains the name of a child who will receive a gift card.
- Purchase a $40 Target or Walmart gift card. Gift cards will empower parents to shop for and purchase gifts for their own child, and this in independent living to purchase their own gift, under the supervision of their caseworker.
- Place the gift card in the provided envelope, along with the included Christmas card. You are welcome to include an additional handwritten note, or have your children color a picture. Please make sure any additional notes fit in the envelope. If signing your note, include first names only. Please do not seal the envelope.
Join Us in Prayer
Your prayers matter! We encourage you to commit to praying by name for the child or teen listed on your envelope, their biological family, and their caseworkers.
For the Child
Pray that this child would experience God’s love through these gifts and the love and care given them by all involved in the child welfare system. Pray that God would provide a permanent, loving home, whether through their biological families or through adoption. Pray that God would heal the deep hurts this child has experienced and protect him/her from future harm. Pray this child would come to know the love of God in Christ Jesus through the ministry of loving families.
For the Biological Family
Pray that God would draw this child’s biological family to Himself and that they would experience the life transformation that will allow them to parent their child well. Pray that this family will be treated with dignity by all those involved in the child welfare system.
For the Foster Family
Pray for current foster parents, that they would not lose heart and that they would be diligent in seeking justice for the children in their care.
For the Social Worker
Pray for social workers working within the foster and adoption community, that God would encourage these professionals, that they would experience great joy in their work, and that they would not grow weary in doing good. Pray that God would give them wisdom and courage as they advocate for children and families in need and face challenging and desperate situations on a daily basis.
For Youth in Independent Living
Pray that every youth who ages out of the foster care system in our community would have the resources necessary to survive and to thrive as an adult living on their own, even without the permanency offamily. Pray that youth would have a support system of adults in our community who will guide them through the process of aging out. Pray that God would reveal ways for the people and churches in our community to tangibly support children who age out of the foster care system.
Thank you for helping us extend the love of Christ to vulnerable children & families in our community!
“I had nothing to give my kids. I was upset and emotional when I told my [caseworker] that I wouldn’t be able to bring in gifts for my children at the next visit [the children were in foster care]. That’s when my [caseworker] told me that she had put my children’s names in for gifts from Calvary Church and that I would have something to give them. I was relieved and very grateful. I remember my her saying to me, ‘You have a lot to give to your children and they need you; the church wants you to know you are cared about and loved.’ I got my kids returned to me in June, and I will never forget the church’s help last year and the difference it made.”
-Parent
Frequently Asked Questions
Giving Tree seeks to show God’s love to local children and families in need, and thereby also displaying God’s love to and encouraging/supporting staff at Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency.
Due to major flooding at the Queen Street location, relocated staff in tight, shared spaces, and ongoing renovations with no storage space, CYA has once again requested gift cards in lieu of actual gifts to help alleviate the stress case workers are already feeling with the upcoming holiday season and all that must be managed.
While we recognize that gift cards deflate some of the joy of selecting an actual gift, these gift cards are a real blessing to families in crisis who will be empowered to select and purchase gifts for their own children. They also present an opportunity for case workers to strengthen relationships with the families on their caseload.
CYA takes very seriously the responsibility to see that these gift cards are used toward their intended purpose. They have added an entire unit of case aides to support their caseworkers, and these case aides (in conjunction with the caseworkers and interns) can assist parents with shopping and purchasing gifts for their children. All parents who receive a gift card will be required to submit their receipt(s).
The envelopes are color-coded according to the specific department of Lancaster County Children and Youth Agency (CYA) that a child and/or family is currently involved with: Intake, Family Support, Permanency, and Independent Living.
- Green Envelope – Intake: Represents families being accepted for services with CYA
- Red Envelope – Family Support: Represents families who are receiving in-home support
- Blue Envelope – Permanency: Represents children that have been removed from their home of origin and are in foster care
- Gold Envelope – Independent Living: Represents teenagers in residential settings (group home or shelter}. Most of these youth will age out of the system without the permanency of family.
The Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency is a public child welfare agency mandated to provide protection services to Lancaster County’s children and their families. The Agency investigates all reports of child abuse and neglect and provides intervention services to address safety threats and risk factors and stabilize the family. The agency’s mission is to address the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth at risk of abuse and neglect.
- Learn more about the foster care system by attending an informational session in our community.
- Support a family who fosters through joining a Care Community.
- Register to meet tangible needs through Keystone Family Alliance’s Gateway.
- Consider becoming a foster parent or respite care provider.
- Contact Calvary’s Tapestry Adoption & Foster Ministry team to learn more.