Safe Haven is the location of The Giving Tree, formerly known as the Elf Tree offered by the Department of Family Services.
Executive director of Safe Haven Kaitlin Stone said, “It’s a way for the community to come together and make sure that all kiddos have a good Christmas. Anyone can sign up. There’s no income restriction. Thanks to our incredible community and donations of time and gifts, we are able to work together to provide a beautiful holiday for anyone who might need a little extra help.”
Stone provided information on how the Giving Tree works and its guidelines and said, “The way we’re doing it this year is that everybody writes down three wants and three needs for each child. Each child gets two separate tags on the tree so that if somebody is purchasing gifts and they only want to get a need item, they can pull a need tag. Or if they want to get fun stuff, they can pull a want tag. It kind of makes sure that people can pick and choose what they want to be buying.”
Those who participate in the giving are anonymous and the gifts purchased can be dropped off at Storyteller or Safe Haven. The deadline for children to sign up is Monday, December 12.
The age cutoff is 18 and each child can only be signed up once. The tree is only residents of Hot Springs County and only the person who completes the sign-up can pick up the gifts. Safe Haven will notify the adult when the gifts are ready. Their office is located at 426 Big Horn Street. For more information, call 864-4673.
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