Giving Tree

Who we are
Just as Christmas is a special holiday for Western children, the Spring Festival is a magical time for Chinese children.  They look forward to the gathering of family members, feasting, visiting friends and relatives, and receiving gifts.  However, there are many children in Shanghai, whose families cannot afford to give them new clothes or toys.  Giving Tree volunteers at the Community Center work with The Shanghai Charity Foundation and other local NGOs to “share the joy of Christmas” with children in need during the Spring Festival Season. 

What we do
The Giving Tree assists thousands of children in need from the Metropolitan Shanghai area in need by providing a Gift Bag full of age/gender appropriate toys, clothes and school supplies during the Spring Festival Season.


Time Line of the Giving Tree
August -  Plan and coordinate with the Charity Foundation. Recruit volunteers.
September -  Promote the program and organize Giving Tree bags.
October -  Organize children profiles. Recruit donors.
November -  Distribute Giving Tree gift bags with children's profile attached to donors.
December - Collect and receive filled gifts bags from donors. Deliver all the gifts to centralized storage.
January -  Organize and distribute the Giving Tree gifts to the children.
February - Evaluate the project.

What we have accomplished
Since our beginning in 2003 till spring 2008, we have provided gifts to over 10,000 needy children in the local Shanghai area.

What you can do to get involved

  •   •  Be a donor, pick up one or more Giving Tree Bag in mid-November, stuff it with new age/gender appropriate gifts, and return it in mid-December, or make a cash donation of 200 RMB per child, if you are unable to shop for gifts yourself.
  •   •  Be a gift shopper for those who sponsor a child with a cash donation, but are unable to shop themselves.
  •   •  Be a coordinator.  Recruit Giving Tree donors in your residential compound or just a few neighbors, your school or class, your company or your office, your church or your small group, your social club or circle of friends.  Invite people to join with you and agree how many children you will collectively sponsor. Apply for the number of children your group decides to sponsor, and then make sure that all the gifts are purchased and delivered on time. Be the main contact person between Giving Tree and your group.
  •   •  Give the Giving Tree as a gift to others.  You may have friends and relatives living abroad who would welcome a note describing the name of a needy Shanghai child and the items you purchased for the child in their name. Or, your child's teacher might also find such a gesture appropriate as the giving season approaches at school. 
  •   •  Provide a cash donation to cover operating costs of the Giving Tree.
  • Coordinate 2-4 donors to ensure Gift Bags are distributed to donors and returned filled with appropriate items by the designated date for distribution to children.
  •   •  Organize a Giving Tree distribution party.
  •   •  Provide a drop off location for Gift Bags.
  •   •  Sort and load Gift Bags for distribution to children.
  •   •  Provide a truck, van or other large vehicle to transport Gift Bags.

Things to Keep in Mind
If you decide to sponsor a child, be sure to:

  •   •  fill the Gift Bag with age/gender appropriate gifts
  •   •  fill the Gift Bag with new, unused items
  •   •  not to include any religious items or cash
  •   •  return the filled Gift Bag back on time
  •   •  make a cash gift if you or your organization cannot provide all the gifts promised so that volunteers can provide gifts for those children so no one is disappointed

 

Contact Information
By participating in The Giving Tree program you can help make a local child's Spring Festival very special.  If you would like to help with Giving Tree or have any questions, please call 5030-3313 or email givingtree@communitycenter.cn.  We look forward to working with you to make this a wonderful Christmas and Spring Festival for both you and some very special children here in Shanghai.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sponsor?
A sponsor is someone that takes a Gift Bag that includes the name,  sex, height, and shoe size of a child in need.  Sponsors commit to purchasing appropriate gifts and delivering them to the designated location in early December.

What is a donor coordinator?
A donor coordinator coordinates 2 or more donors by logging and tracking each Gift Bag from the time it reaches donor until it is filled and returned to a designated location in early December.  The donor coordinator is also the main point of communication contact between the donor and the Community Center. He/she follows up with the donor to let them know what happened after the Gift Bag is delivered to the child.

What is a Giving Tree Bag?
It is a bag with a tag that includes the name, sex, height and shoe size of a child in need.  A sponsor fills the bag with age/gender appropriate items to provide gifts to a child in need.
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What is a Gift Bag Shopper?
A gift shopper goes shopping to fill Gift Bags with age/gender appropriate gifts for those sponsors who are unable to shop, but provide a cash gift.

What is a Gift Bag Sorter?
A Gift Bag Sorter goes through each Gift Bag to make sure it is filled properly and placed in the appropriate area for delivery.

Why do I have to return the filled bag(s) in Mid December since the Chinese New Year is normally in late January or February?
The local schools are off for winter holiday two weeks before Chinese New Year and the migrant schools are off even earlier. The kids have to take at least one week of end of the semester to take tests. During this test time, the schools don't want to have any activities going on. So, distribution normally happens in early January and the gift sorting takes place around mid to end of December. It is very important to return the gifts back on time.

Can I deliver the gifts to the children I sponsored? 
The Giving Tree will organize several gift presentation ceremonies that all the donors may participate in. You can help give out gifts to children, but not necessarily to the specific child you sponsored, especially in large ceremonies.

What do I do if I want to continue sponsoring the same child?
The Giving Tree will make an effort to make the contact for you.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive “