About Us 
Christmas Sharing
Christmas Sharing at Aldersgate
One of the true wonders of the holiday season in Wheaton is a program known as Christmas Sharing. Aldersgate United Methodist Church is blessed to be a host church for this wonderful program and would like to invite any looking to add some giving to the season of getting to join us in this.
Over 40 years ago, a teacher from one of the Wheaton schools and his church launched what has become the Wheaton-Warrenville Christmas Sharing Program covering all of District 200 school district. The group delivered food, clothing and toys to 12 needy families in one of the schools. The program today is a unique collaboration serving over 1000 families in our community, involving all of the District 200 schools, 9 area churches and a number of other community groups and businesses. Aldersgate United Methodist Church annually is a distribution center for this program, serving over 80 families, more than our membership. During the week of Dec. 4th, we will be setting up a large, all free, garage sale of clothes, new and used toys, and boxing food to provide invited, needy families on Dec 9-10. The families will select what they need and then anything left over will be provided to an area mission.
It may seem amazing that there are 1000+ needy families in our area, but while DuPage County remains among the richest counties in the U.S., there are still many among us who need a helping hand. Wheaton is an unusual suburb with income ranging from below the poverty level to multi-millionaires. Until recently the headquarters for World Relief, a refugee resettlement program, Wheaton hosts many political refugees from many parts of the world as they get started on a new life in America. Aldersgate hosts refugees from Eastern Europe, Sudan, Nepal and other troubled places around the world. It makes us realize how blessed we are when you see someone who has only been here a week, arriving with one suitcase or less, behold the wonder of our discards.
One of the reasons we at Aldersgate make this part of the busy Christmas season is that it helps remind us of the giving aspect of Christmas to counter the receiving emphasis of our culture. My family has made this a part of our holidays for 15 years now and it brings us the wonderful joy of giving in a special way. I would like to invite you to join us in
this program. Please take this opportunity to clean out your closets and cabinets to make room for the Christmas presents. This is a great opportunity to give clothes or other items for others to love. Desired items are bed linens, kitchen basics, winter clothing, winter coats, gloves and boots, and used toys if they are in GOOD condition. Toy tags are
available for buying new toys for the children. We also ask people willing to participate to provide a food box for a family. The amount of food provided is the primary limitation to the number of people we can serve at Aldersgate. A suggested list of items for a family box is available.
Please join us – You will not regret it!
