Thanksgiving Baskets
Cedar Springs showered Knoxville with generosity and love this Thanksgiving by providing 658 baskets to the community!

The outreach of the Thanksgiving baskets, however, goes beyond just the food contained within them. The baskets are all delivered by folks who want to share Christ's love with those that they will encounter on delivery day.

Among the many who made deliveries on Monday, November 24, Alamaz Gemechu of the Cedar Springs Refugee Ministry delivered baskets to some of the refugees with the help of David and Linda Ackerson. Almaz has reported that the families that they delivered to were very blessed by receiving a basket of food to celebrate this holiday in their new country. David is in the photo below right with two of the Iraqi refugees.

Operation Christmas Child
This year 440 shoeboxes were filled with toys and gifts for children around the world! Gary Owens and 11 others went to Boone, NC to help at the processing center. Margaret and Fred Trainer also led a group from the Emmaus Class to Boone to help with the processing of the shoeboxes.

Salvation Army Christmas Stocking Drive
Cedar Springs partnered again this year with the Salvation Army to distribute Christmas stockings to infants, children, teenagers and to the elderly.  Thank you for the many, many stockings that were prepared.

Salvation Army Bell Ringers
In addition to the Christmas stockings, the Emmaus Class had 29 members volunteer to ring the Salvation Army bells on December 1, 2 and 3. Among the many volunteers were Vern and Nancy Holstad (pictured below on the left) and Jim & Bea Harms (pictured below on the right). All of the volunteers enjoyed greeting friends and strangers and reported that people were very generous in their donations.

Hope Bucket Drive - *New* - Read special Thank You from Hope Center
The Christmas Hope Buckets originated with the Hope Center at Fort Sanders Hospital. This center works with terminally ill patients. Many of the buckets were filled with needed items that are intended to give the patients a spark, sometimes their only spark, for the holidays. The purpose of the “Hope Bucket” is to give a gift of useful nature to those living with HIV-AIDS or other incurable diseases.  

Angel Tree Drive
Angel Tree is a CSPC partnership with local area ministries and inner-city schools, with a goal to provide gifts for children who otherwise would not receive much for Christmas. Thank you to all who participiated by picking up a "wish list" of one of these children. The Welcome Hall was filled with wrapped gifts for many days in December, waiting to be delivered to the children.

Women in Crisis Luncheon
Women from area shelters were brought to Cedar Springs for lunch and then treated to a shopping spree at Wal-Mart. Thank you to Jill Hall and others who volunteered to help with this special project this year.

Hope Center Christmas Celebration - *New* - Read special Thank You from Hope Center
On Tuesday, December 9, Cedar Springs hosted the Ft. Sanders Hospital Hope Center Christmas celebration again this year. This was a party for the terminally ill.  All of the children of these patients were given presents at the party.  Thank you to all who volunteered and the church staff who welcomed them to the Family Life Center.

Bear Bucks Sale
A project of PEP Moms, the Bear Bucks sale is provided for the children at Lonsdale Elementary to "purchase" Christmas gifts with the "Bear Bucks" that they have earned in their classes. All of the gift items were donated by the members of Cedar Springs. Thanks to PEP Moms and everyone who donated gifts for these special children. The sale this year was on December 11.

Lonsdale Mom's Lunch
On Friday, December 12, Cedar Springs partnered with Fellowship Church to provide lunch for the Moms who have children at Lonsdale Elementary. This luncheon was provided as an opportunity for the different ethnic groups represented at Lonsdale Elementary to spend some social time together and to begin new friendships. Thanks to the volunteers who provided desserts and chicken casseroles and attended the luncheon to interact with the Moms.