The Christmas Giving Trees are an annual fundraising event at Holy Family and Saint Irene Parishes. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and other charities solicit your contributions by placing envelopes on the trees.
Please consider taking a tag and making a donation to a local organization or agency that serves families and residents in our area. Christmas Giving Tree donations should be returned to the collection baskets by December 14, 2025. Please continue to keep our neighbors in need in your prayers during this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity!
This year, the following organizations are featured on the Giving Tree:
- Carlisle Council on Aging
- Catholic Charities of Merrimack Valley
- Concord Community Services
- Concord Council on Aging
- Concord Prison Outreach
- Friends From Afar Migrant Ministry
- Lazarus House Ministry
- Open Pantry of Greater Lowell
- Open Table
- Soc. of St. Vincent de Paul
Descriptions of the Organizations
Carlisle Council on Aging and Human Services (COAHS)
Promotes active aging for residents 60+ by offering diverse programs and support, including health/wellness classes, nutrition (Meals on Wheels), transport for appointments, social events, financial/legal aid, and caregiver support, while also providing broader human services like emergency assistance and rental aid for any age, acting as a key community resource for independence and connection.
Catholic Charities of Merrimack Valley
Provides essential support to vulnerable individuals and families in Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and surrounding areas, preventing hunger and homelessness through emergency aid for rent, utilities, and food, while also offering long-term stability via youth programs, elder support, refugee resettlement, and workforce development like ESOL and job training, helping people build self-sufficiency.
Concord Community Services
Assists individuals and families in Concord with information, referrals, and short‑term help when they are facing financial, housing, mental health, or other personal challenges. The office acts as a “front door” to local, regional, and state programs.
Concord Council on Aging (COA)
Helps seniors (60+) maintain health, independence, and dignity by offering diverse programs, support, and resources, including transportation, wellness classes, social events (like movie days & Memory Cafe), health/tax assistance, legal clinics, caregiver support, and crucial outreach to vulnerable residents, all centered at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center.
Concord Prison Outreach Program
“Leaving No One Behind” through the holiday gift bag program by providing a gift to over 2,000 people who are incarcerated. Helping inmates at the Northeast Correctional Center, Sousa Baranowski Correctional Center, North Central Correctional Institute, and MCI- Framingham Women’s Prison build better lives for themselves and their families.
Friends From Afar Migrant Ministry
“It takes a village to raise the children.” Continuing to serve the needs of families with children from the former Concord Shelter by providing warm clothing and essentials. Even though the shelter has closed, our services to the children are still needed.
Lazarus House Ministry
Serves individuals and families experiencing material poverty by offering food, shelter, clothing, advocacy, and community resource support in a setting that emphasizes dignity and respect. It focuses on being a place in the Merrimack Valley where people in crisis can come both for immediate help and for guidance toward greater independence. Offering community, shelter, clothing, and advocacy services with an open and non-judgmental heart.
Open Pantry of Greater Lowell
The mission is to relieve hunger in the Lowell community. It aims to connect people to a variety of filling, nutritious, and culturally-appropriate food, as well as to other community resources; to advocate on behalf of those in need locally, statewide, and nationally; and to engage with others in building food security.
Open Table
Provides nutritious, culturally appropriate groceries and prepared meals to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in Maynard, Concord, and surrounding MetroWest communities. The organization emphasizes choice, privacy, and respect, aiming to make accessing food assistance feel as similar as possible to ordinary shopping or meal‑sharing.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP)
Neighbors helping neighbors in Concord and Carlisle, providing short-term emergency financial assistance through trusting, empathetic, and confidential connections with our neighbors. SVdP helps families in crisis situations with expenses such as rent, utilities, food, auto repairs, transportation, moving costs, clothing, food baskets/meals, and assistance with budgeting.
