The idea began with a chance encounter. Scott Lacey, a Machinist at the Gresham Boeing plant, is a member of a Young Machinists group that’s looking for ways to serve the community. When Lacey brought his Harley Davidson to a repair shop in Boring, Oregon, the shop owner mentioned he was helping liquidate his parents’ Christmas tree farm. After talking with Lacey, he agreed to donate 200 trees to help bring Christmas to teenage foster kids in the Gresham area. Many of them get few or no Christmas presents.
Up to 50 trees will go to the homes of the kids themselves, along with $10,000 in lights, ornaments and toys donated by Machinists Local 63. The other 150 will go out to local union members for a $20 suggested donation — to raise money to put some presents under those trees.
For more information and to schedule a tree delivery, call Beth Lacey at 503-875-6306.
Hello, I am a caseworker at Gresham DHS. I work in the Teen Unit. Every year at Christmas time, workers of teens stress, worry and often pay for $10 gift cards out of our own pockets just so these kids have something to open at the hardest time of the year for them. They are away from their families, friends and loved ones and most often – it’s NOT their fault at all. Last year many of those teens did not get gifts. Many of these teens have NO ONE. They are wards of the state, as we scramble to try and find adequate placements for them, we also scramble to try and find gifts for them. Christmas and birthdays are extra hard times for these kids. They feel alone, isolated and unwanted.
This year is different, thanks to the generosity of this amazing group of angels. I have seen big smiles and big THANK YOUS from my kids as I race to deliver the wonderful gifts they have been given. Not only have you given them trees, and something to put under those trees – you have given them HOPE. And HOPE is something these kids need more than ever.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the Teen Unit. We have cried tears of joy over this.
Debra