Items for the Hat and Mitten Tree, Bedford Prison, and Toys for Teens will be collected during the services on Giving Sunday, December 4. You can find details of what is requested below. (If you are unable to attend services on December 4, you may drop off items in the church office). We ask you to consider giving to one or more of these efforts.

Also consider making a monetary gift on #GivingTuesday through myFPCY.org.

Food Pantry Cards

Need a gift for someone that has everything? Looking for an alternative to the commercial Christmas gift? Need a hostess gift to take to Thanksgiving dinner or a holiday party?

Why not make a donation to our Food Pantry in honor of a friend or family member? Donations can be made in any amount AND they will be doubled via our matching program with the FPCY Food Pantry Trust! For each donation, you can select a card that you can mail or deliver in-person. Stop by the table in the gathering space after church.

The Hat and Mitten Tree

There will be a “Hat and Mitten” Christmas tree set up in the hallway leading into the sanctuary in early Advent. The Deacons would like to invite all of you to participate in this project again this year. The hats, scarves, gloves and mittens that you provide (any time up through December 17) will be distributed during the Food Pantry in December. The Pantry clients will be able to select hats, mittens, scarves or headbands from the Christmas tree for each of their family members before obtaining their grocery items that day. “The Knit-Togethers” do an amazing job each year and contribute over 100 handmade items. Several “friends” of the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown in the area also knit or crochet and donated hundreds of beautiful items. All together we have hundreds of beautifully hand-crafted, colorful and unique items to give to our clients. It is a joyful event for ALL involved!

Bedford Prison Children’s Center

The Bedford Prison Children’s Center is a program we have been participating in for the past 25 years, at least. This program helps Moms learn to be better parents and seeks to ease the burden on children of having an incarcerated Mom. They encourage visits through out the year on weekends and school holidays. Moms “buy” and wrap the presents and give them to their kids during holiday visits. Sometimes these are the only presents kids get.

These are the items the Prison usually needs: For kids: games, art supplies, building toys, and science toys that Moms can do with their kids; baby dolls (especially dolls of color) and clothing, sports equipment. Items for teens: gloves, hats, nice scarves, wallets, gift cards, sports equipment, headphones for ipods and phones, art kits, make up kits, and men’s grooming kits, etc. (The Prison will not allow clothing in orange, green, or grey.)

Toys for Teens

The church runs the Toys for Tots distribution each December.The Yorktown Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops will send scouts to assist and coordinate the effort on distribution day. Most of the donations people give are for young children (not too surprising given the name). However, many of our food pantry clients and other people in need have older children as well. We are asking the congregation to help us supplement the Toys for Tots program with Toys for Teens — gifts for older children and teens (ages 12-18). These will be distributed on December 10.

Some ideas for gifts are below (not all inclusive, just some examples):

For girls: nail polish sets, perfume, handbags, makeup kits, dress scarves.

For boys: cologne, Axe body wash, shave kits, hair gel, model cars.

For both: basketballs, soccer balls, diaries, books, games, CDs, winter scarves, grooming kits, sketch pads, art supplies, gift cards.