The Foundry Church: Christmas Store

• 1300 brand new toys (look at those bicycles in the background)!
• 200+ volunteer hours
• 170 families served
• 20 people lined up outside before the store even opened

The Foundry had two very successful weekends of The Christmas Store.  The church is providing high quality toys at a very low cost to families in inner Baltimore.  This is their second year of ministering to the community in this way.  It has been such a successful event that the local university wants to book The Christmas Store for their location next year!

Volunteer Holly Gray shared what serving at the Christmas Store did to her spirit this year:

"Frankly, I been a Bah Hum Bug this Christmas season and I haven't felt one ounce of Christmas spirit. But this morning I got the chance to serve at the Christmas Store- where toys are priced so that anyone can afford them. There a young homeless man shyly approached me and asked if he was allowed to come into the store. He went on to explain that he only had three dollars. I invited him in and assured him that he would be able to find a gift.

A few minutes later he approached me again with two toys in hand and told me that the stuffed animal was for his niece and the doll for his daughter, who he was going to get a chance to see on Christmas. While we spoke he pulled out a a small, dirty plastic bag of coins and started to count, as he reached the end he looked at me nervously and handed me exactly $3. I took the change and then told him that his gifts would be wrapped for free, his expression went from nervous to confused to overjoyed, and he began to thank me over and over again."

Way to go, Foundry! May the love of Jesus be seen in Baltimore through you.