Share Your Christmas 2025

The tree goes up on November 23! You have until December 14 to pick up a tag, shop, and deliver your wrapped gifts back to the tree in the Sprague Room.
(Note: Ronald McDonald House gifts or cash contributions must be back by December 10.)

If you prefer to make a cash donation toward the purchase of gift cards and/or presents for St. Luke’s Families, LEAP Families, Ronald McDonald House and the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham, here’s how:

by check with a memo line or separate note showing the amount for each program, payable to St. Luke’s, to 1737 Hillandale Road, Durham 27705;
OR
pay through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account and you may use either a credit or debit card. On the final payment screen, use the “add a note” space to designate where you want your contribution to go.

Read more below about who we are helping this year and why.

St. Luke’s Families

Each year, St. Luke’s Share Your Christmas helps a group of families from the community have a brighter holiday season. All families have been recommended by our clergy or parishioners. Many have been part of our Share Your Christmas program for several years, and also receive help from St. Luke’s throughout the year.

2025 has been another difficult year for the 15 families and groups we are assisting. Here are some examples:

• A woman has raised two teens alone since her own mom—the major earner in the household—passed away several years ago. Health problems have kept this woman from steady work as a house cleaner. Her son, now in his later teens, continually deals with psychological and/or legal issues, as well as residual problems from a serious car accident in 2023. This family is always in need of food and clothing and has few resources to put toward Christmas. Can you help?
• During 2025, a mother and her five young children, aged 2 to 11, moved from Fayetteville to Durham. They all live in one room in a hotel. The mother works, but she spends nearly all her earnings for their living space. Without your help, none of these children will have a Christmas package to open in 2025.
• A grandmother is helping care for and support her son, his partner, and three grandchildren, aged 3, 6, and 14.  Earlier this year another grandchild, one of the 3-year-old twins, died of a congenital illness. The grandmother also lost one of her own sisters during the year. Her brother-in-law is now very ill. The family is burdened by the cost of living, medical bills, and the exhaustion that comes from too many devastating events at once. Please help brighten this family’s Christmas this year.

Your contributions will make an enormous difference in the lives of our St. Luke’s Families. The funds you donate will help furnish clothing, toys, food and household items—and a lot of joy—during the holiday season. Families will receive gifts you have shopped for from the Share Your Christmas tree, or gift cards purchased with your cash donations, so they can buy necessities and a few wish list items for Christmas.

Please make your donation no later than December 14.

LEAP

Believing in the potential of all children.

LEAP empowers children in Durham to achieve academic success by providing a high-quality, dual-language preschool, here on St. Luke’s campus, and ongoing support throughout middle school.

LEAP considers all families who participate in our programs as part of the LEAP community. We make sure that our families get connected with Durham’s resources based on their individual needs.

You may make a donation towards Christmas gift cards or presents for the LEAP families through December 14.