VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING PROJECT ChildServ Seeks Holiday Elves to sort and wrap gifts for children

ChildServ a private, not-for-profit organization that has been helping children and their families build better lives since 1894, is currently seeking volunteers to collect, sort and wrap gifts during its annual Holiday Gift Giving Project.

CHICAGO, Ill., November 18, 2002 -- ChildServ a private, not-for-profit organization that has been helping children and their families build better lives since 1894, is currently seeking volunteers to collect, sort and wrap gifts during its annual Holiday Gift Giving Project. Each year, ChildServ works with a variety of donors to provide more than 5,000 gifts to the children in its programs who live in Chicagoland communities lacking in social and economic resources. ChildServs church relations and volunteer services departments organize the list of childrens wishes and makes them available to various churches, corporations and organizations.

The donated gifts are then delivered to ChildServs sorting center, located at 25 S. Northwest Highway in Park Ridge (the old Walter E. Smithe furniture store), where volunteers will be waiting to receive, sort and wrap the gifts. Once the gifts have been wrapped, volunteers will deliver them to the more than 18 ChildServ locations in Chicagoland. ChildServ still needs volunteers to sort, wrap and deliver gifts from December 2nd through December 12th. There are both day and evening volunteer times available. Individuals and groups are welcome and encouraged to help.

This year, ChildServ expects more than 400 volunteers to donate their time during our annual Holiday Gift Giving Project. During the annual event, ChildServ also manages a Wishing Tree" in conjunction with Chicago Place, located at 700 North Michigan Avenue, which produces approximately 20% of the 5,000 gifts for the Holiday Gift Giving Project. Donors are asked to choose a childs wish" from the tree and return it with a gift to the Wishing Tree volunteer. The gifts received at the Wishing Tree will also be delivered to the sorting center in Park Ridge. ChildServ needs volunteers to staff the Wishing Tree from November 30th through December 8th.

For more information on the Holiday Gift Giving Project or the Wishing Tree contact ChildServs volunteer coordinator at (773) 693-0300 or visit ChildServs Web site at www.childserv.org.

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Note: ChildServ news releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.childserv.org.

ChildServ is a private, not-for-profit child and family well-being organization affiliated with the United Methodist Church and a member of the Presbyterian Childrens Homes and Related Ministries (PCHARM). ChildServ was founded in 1894 as an orphanage in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Today, more than a century later, ChildServ has evolved into a multi-site child well-being organization with 18 locations throughout Cook, Lake and DuPage counties. ChildServs wide range of programs includes foster care and adoption, residential group homes, child care, tutoring, early childhood education, and parenting support.