ATLANTA--Over 100 families served by Catholic Social Services (CSS) received food and Christmas gifts on Dec. 17 and 18 at the Catholic Center.

Parishioners from St. Andrew’s Church, Roswell, members of the local business community and staff and volunteers from CSS participated in the program which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary.

“This is fun,” said Tom Bickes of the St. Martin de Porres Ministry at St. Andrew’s which has collected donated goods for more than eight years and transported them to the Catholic Center prior to Christmas.

Tom and his wife, May-May, helped to organize St. Andrew Church’s participation in the Christmas giving program. This year their 6-year-old son T.J. joined his dad and others from St. Andrew’s as they unloaded the truck filled with Christmas presents sent by members of the parish. Doug and Mary Smith, Judy Bankston and Julie and Steve Byron of St. Andrew’s were also instrumental in organizing the parish’s effort.

Margaret Wilkerson of CSS has coordinated the Christmas giving program for many years, gathering information on the families participating to be sure that gifts are accurately matched to the size of the family and ages of children involved. The program began when the staff of CSS agreed to try a new way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Instead of exchanging gifts with each other, they began to adopt families their agencies served and brought gifts for them instead.

CSS’ Multicultural Program also has a Christmas giving program for refugees which has been going on for several years. Parishes in the archdiocese and other churches in the local community of faith participate.