Community comes together for Operation Christmas

Operation Family Christmas has been part of the Cook County Community for about eight years, working to make sure that every child in Cook County has some gifts for Christmas.
 
Operation Family Christmas has been part of the Cook County Community for about eight years, working to make sure that every child in Cook County has some gifts for Christmas. For the last three holidays, Jes Rodne of Grand Marais has been coordinator of the program.

Jes provided some details of the program.
 For applicants:
You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child on the application.
The family must live in Cook County.
Applications are available at the Cook County Senior Center, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, North Shore Federal Credit Union (Grand Marais, Lutsen and Grand Portage), Grand Marais State Bank (Tofte and Grand Marais branches), Cook County and Grand Portage Human Services, the Violence Prevention Office, Cook County Schools and Birch Grove School in Tofte.
Applications must be turned in to Jes Rodne by November 20, 2018 at 4 p.m. No exceptions.

For donors:
Christmas Tags will be placed on trees and available at the Senior Center, North Shore Federal Credit Union (Grand Marais, Grand Portage and Lutsen branches), Grand Marais State Bank starting November 26. Tags will have the age, gender and some ideas of each child’s wishes for this Christmas.
Donors simply pick up a tag(s), go shopping, and return the gifts unwrapped with each ornament tag securely fastened to the outside of the gift bag by December 17 to either the Senior Center, the North Shore Federal Credit Union in Grand Marais or Lutsen or the Grand Marais State Bank.

If you have any questions, contact Jes Rodne at 218-370-9813 or by email [email protected].

And WTIP’s Rhonda Silence talked to Jes about the program and how meaningful it is to her and the others who participate. Here’s that conversation.