MIDDLESEX TWP — Although many groups host gift drives for needy families at Christmas, a new service in Butler County will allow some parents to personally shop for the gifts.

CrossWay Church of the Assemblies of God announced recently it will be a site for the Give-A-Gift program, an outreach of the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit group Network of Hope.

As part of the program, toys are donated or purchased new with donated funds, then sold to needy families for 10 percent of their retail cost.

"We collect new gifts for infants through teens, then set up a pseudo store where eligible parents can come and personally choose gifts for each of their children," said Deana Leone of Network of Hope.

"We strive to create an opportunity for parents to provide for their families personally, with dignity and the satisfaction of having participated in the process.

"Free gift wrapping and refreshments create an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality," she added.

The shopping day will be Dec. 16. The deadline for applying is Dec. 13.

"We will set up the store and refreshments," said Joni Kellar, who will head up the Network of Hope at CrossWay Church. "These parents might not have days to shop for their kids or the resources to do it. We want to make the day a blessing for the family," she added.

"The nominal fee on the gifts gets rolled back into the program for expenses such as the wrapping station and investment in next year's program," said Kellar.

Years ago, Kellar was a single mother with a daughter for whom the holidays were most difficult.

"When I was alone and struggling to make ends meet, I dreaded Christmas because it set me back to just pay for a gift," Kellar explained.

"The church I attended didn't have a system in place to meet the needs of people who were struggling," she said.

"This program is fantastic because it allows parents to provide independently for their children. They can actually say, 'Mommy bought this for you,'" explained Kellar, who wished something like this had been available to her when she was in need.

"The leadership of our church believes that it is time to assume the responsibilities that the church is supposed to like caring for families, widows and orphans," she said.

Although a gift drive was held at CrossWay Church, where new unwrapped gifts have been collected with the price or sales receipt still attached, donated gifts and cash are still being sought.

"Our goal is to be able to provide families three gifts per child," Kellar said.

Currently the infants and teens categories are in need of stocking up, she added.

Gifts can be dropped off at the church from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays through Dec. 13 and between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Cash donations are also welcome.

The Rev. Pat Summers of CrossWay is excited about this opportunity to serve. "We truly care about the people in our community. We have a heart for them and connecting with Network of Hope will enable us to reach out to the community in a tangible way," he explained.

"This Give-a-Gift program is just the beginning of several programs we are committed to offering during the next year," he added.

As a Network of Hope Site, CrossWay church will have the opportunity to meet various needs in the community throughout the year.

"When we launch a new site, we do a few big events to let people know the site is open. We then recruit and train volunteers to be able to meet the needs of their neighbors," said Leone.

"Donations of new gift items — no stuffed animals, please — as well as monetary donations are greatly appreciated. We have a Network of Hope Gift Registry at Toys 'R Us and Wal-Mart for gift ideas," said Kellar.

Gifts should be unwrapped with the price visible. "We hope to help close to 1,000 children this year through one of our six Give-A-Gift sites," said Leone.

Those in need can shop by appointment only on Dec. 16 at CrossWay Church, 109 Davis Road. To register, call the church at 724-898-4600.