500 children left: Soroptimist Community Christmas Tree still needs your help

The good news: Most of the tags — each representing a needy child — have been taken from the Soroptimist Commnity Christmas Tree at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall.

The not-so-good news: Roughly 500 tags remain, and well over 1,000 tags have not been returned (with accompanying gifts), organizers say.

The tree, now in its 32nd year, is a volunteer effort by Modesto’s Soroptimist Clubs, which work with agencies and schools to identify children who might not get much of a Christmas, if any, otherwise. Families or individuals pick out a tag, then go shopping for the gifts on it and return them, unwrapped, with the tag to the tree. Several of the stores in the mall offer discounts to people who are buying items for the tree.

On Sunday, members of the F-100 Elete, a club for owners of Fords from 1966 or earlier, made their annual trek to the tree. bringing bicycles, toys, clothing and more.

“For nearly 30 years, these folks have helped our children on the Soroptimist Community Christmas Tree,” club member JoAnn Found said in an email. “Starting in the 1980s with the ability to only take a few children, they have continued to support us and now cover 40 kids a year!”

Club members and volunteers will continue to staff the tree, located upstairs in the mall near the Forever 21 entrance, through Dec. 18. That’s the day tags and gifts are due to be returned.

The clubs need people to help staff the tree and help out in the wrapping room, sorting and tagging gifts.

Anyone over the age of 17 is welcome to work at either site; the tree is open and staffed from noon to 8 p.m. most days, opening at 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

Donations may be sent to SCCT, P.O. Box 1353, Modesto, 95353.

Information on donating or volunteering is available at the project website, www.simodesto.com/?p=723, or by emailing Scctmodesto@yahoo.com.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "500 children left: Soroptimist Community Christmas Tree still needs your help."