News and Events

Gift Marts Bring Joy to Aurora & Joliet

Monday, 21 December 2009 14:58

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed in any way . . . with toys, time, prayers . . .to help provide a "hand-up" to our friends in East Aurora and Joliet this Christmas season!

• Over 14,000 toys: 3,600 toys for the Joliet Gift Mart + 10,500 toys for the Aurora Gift Marts = Christmas for thousands of children!
• 1,500 Volunteers:  300 volunteers in Joliet; 1,200 volunteers in Aurora. It took every one of you to pull off these events!
• Over 3,000 People Attended Marts:  750 people attended the Joliet Mart; 1,750 people attended the Aurora Mart at Bardwell and 1,000 at the Aurora Mart at Brady.  Thousands of happy people who experienced the love of Christ this Christmas!
• Over 120 Partnering Organizations:  Churches--Orchard Valley Community Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Wheatland Salem United Methodist, Hope Tabernacle, Warehouse and others.  Schools--countless elementary, middle, and high schools sponsored toy drives.  Businesses--Walmart, Starbucks, Caribbou, Crate and Barrell, Coke, Hub Group, and many, many others.  It is this kind of unity that makes God smile!
• $20,074 Raised for Schools:  $4,349 for AO Marshall and Park Elementary Schools in Joliet.  $15,725 for Bardwell, Brady, Rollins, and Beaupre Elementary Schools in East Aurora.  All to support school improvement initiatives that limited school budgets won't support!