The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District and Sweet Home Police Department are accepting applications to their Christmas for Kids Sharing Tree toy programs and Shop with a Cop; and Sweet Home Emergency Ministries is accepting applications for Christmas food boxes.
Applications to the fire district, for children 12 and younger, are available at the “Sweet Home Sharing Tree” page on Facebook. Applications to the Police Department program, for children in the seventh through 12th grade, are available on the city’s website, sweethomeor.gov/police/webform/teen-sharing-tree-2020-application.
Paper applications for each are available at the Fire Hall, 1099 Long St., and at the Police Department, 1950 Main St.
The deadline to submit applications to the programs is Nov. 30.
In the sharing tree programs, names of children and families are written on tags and placed on the sharing trees. Anyone who wants to help those in need is invited to visit the Fire Hall or Police Department and choose a name or multiple names from the tree. Donors are welcome to contribute for entire families.
Tags will be available at each location beginning in mid-November. The date remains to be announced.
Donors purchase an item or items listed on the tag, wrap the gifts and then return them by Dec. 9. The tags that are left on the sharing tree will be taken by the local department personnel, who will purchase gifts to fill those requests.
Those requesting gifts will be able to pick up their gifts Dec. 16-17.
Cash donations to the “Christmas for Kids Sharing Tree” toy programs may be made at the Fire and Ambulance District office, 1099 Long St., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and Sweet Home Police Department, 1950 Main St., 24 hours a day. All cash donations will be used to purchase toys and needed clothing for local children. Funds donated to the Police Department also may be used to help pay for the Shop with a Cop program and other children’s programs.
Applications are also available for the Dec. 12 Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program on the city’s website at sweethomeor.gov/police/webform/shop-cop-2020-application. Paper forms are available at the department. The program is open to children 4 through 12.
During Shop with a Cop, children will receive credit to shop at Bi-Mart with police officers. Treats and hot chocolate will be available. They’ll get to meet Blue Santa, and members of the Sportsman’s Holiday Court will assist them in wrapping gifts.
Sweet Home Emergency Ministries will accept applications for Christmas food boxes through the mail slot on the front door at SHEM, 1115 Long St., until Nov. 28. The form is downloadable from SHEM’s website, shemfoodbank.org/christmas-box-app.
SHEM will prepare food baskets for delivery in time for Christmas. For those who would like to donate to the Food Basket Program, SHEM accepts cash, clothing and non-perishable food items.