Karing for Kids Angel Trees return for the sixth year in Wells County and for the
first time in Huntington County.

“This is our sixth year to coordinate this project,” stated Rhonda O’Reilly.  “Our annual Angel Tree Christmas project
has been blessed from its beginning in 2003.  We began the first year helping only 8 children whose names we got from Santa’s Workshop.  In 2004, we decided to contact the school counselors at Northern Wells Schools to get referrals for
the project and our numbers jumped to helping 80 children with gifts.  In 2005, we spread our project to the rest of
Wells County schools and helped 177 children.  And so the story continues.  In 2006 we helped 167 children and in 2007 we jumped to 266 children.  The children were given 10 gifts each.”

“After the growth last year we decided it was time to form a committee for Karing for Kids.  Prior to that my husband
Tim and I, along with our family, coordinated this project and the other things Karing for Kids helps with,” stated Rhonda.  “It was clear to see that God had big plans for Karing for Kids and it was time for more help.  We had some awesome people who helped us with the project last year so we asked them to join our family in the organizing of our events and fundraising.”

“As a committee we decided it was time to add Huntington County schools for the 2008 Angel Tree project.  We are
looking to provide approximately 400 children in Huntington and Wells Counties with gifts this year.  Each child will
receive 8 gifts.  We have also added a Christmas Meal box to our project so when we deliver the gifts we will also be
taking a Christmas Meal and a bible to each family.”

The first year of this project there was one tree located at the MarkleBank in Markle.  This year there will  be 30
locations that angels can be picked up from.  They are: MarkleBank locations in Markle, Bluffton, Huntington, & Warren, Markle Health & Rehabilitation, Crossroads Pantry in Markle, Reed’s Do It Best in Bluffton, Teachers Credit Union in Huntington, Quilts n’ Gifts in Bluffton, Peyton’s Northern in Bluffton, Mechanics Unlimited in Fort Wayne, many of the
staff lounges of the Wells County and Huntington County Schools and the following churches Markle Church of Christ,
Life Church in Bluffton, Ossian United Methodist, St. Joseph Catholic in Bluffton, Uniondale United Methodist and
Warren Church of Christ.

The trees will all be out by Tuesday, November 18th for people to go take angels and buy the gift on the back of it. 
The gifts need to be returned to one of the drop off locations by Tuesday, December 16th to allow time for sorting
and wrapping before delivery.

Anyone interested in helping wrap the nearly 3,000 gifts or may be interested in helping in another way may contact Rhonda O’Reilly at 260-273-0716.  The wrapping will take place on Friday, December 19th from 6 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, December 20th beginning at 10 am at the Markle Church of Christ, located at 455 E. Morse St., Markle.

Monetary donations may be sent to Karing for Kids, 1481 W. 100 N., Bluffton, IN  46714.  All donations are
tax deductible

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click here to download the pdf brochure