Jesse Tree Ministry: New Program Format for 2020!

**COVID-19 Update 12/10**

In light of the 12/10 announcement that Saint Clement Parish is closed through 12/18 due to Covid-19, the Jesse Tree Drive-Thru Gift Drop-off, previously scheduled for Saturday, December 12, is CANCELLED. 
 
A new Drive-Thru Gift Drop-off is scheduled for Saturday, December 19 from 11:30am-1:30pm.
 
Please watch for possible updates to that tentative plan in light of the uncertainty that necessarily exists due to the ongoing pandemic. If you have any questions or concerns about your ability to drop-off your gift on Dec. 19, you can reach out to Barbara Silva or Julia Keller. We are grateful for your generosity and flexibility as we seek to support our community partners during this Christmas season.

What is Jesse Tree?

Jesse Tree is a ministry in conjunction with Advent that provides parishioners an opportunity to support 12 local organizations with clothing, toys, gift cards, and other needed items in the spirit of Christmas giving. In 2019, Saint Clement generously contributed over 1,275 gift items and over $12,535 in gift cards and financial contributions to our Jesse Tree partners.

How Jesse Tree Will Work this Year

Jesse Tree will look different this year because of the limitations relating to COVID-19, both within our own parish community and for our partner organizations. Here's how it will work!

  • Official Kickoff: Weekend of Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29
  • Final Gift Return Deadline: Saturday, December 19 by 1:30pm

Signing Up
Instead of taking paper tags representing needed items from trees in the church, we invite you to sign up online to indicate what contribution(s) you would like to make this year. Please click the Gift Sign-up button to view what items are needed and to sign up! Our Jesse Tree volunteer team will make sure that your gifts are sorted and distributed to the organizations that need them.

Returning Your Gifts 
There are three ways to return your Jesse Tree gifts to Saint Clement: 
 
(1) Stop by one of our no-contact drive-thru gift drop-offs on Saturdays December 5 and December 12  (12/12 drop-off cancelled) rescheduled for December 19 from 11:30am-1:30pm at the Saint Clement School covered parking lot. Click for details on how the drive-thru will work.
 
(2) Drop off your gifts in the marked bins at the parish reception office before or after Mass or during the office's weekly open hours. (Click to view the current office hours.) 
 
(3) Mail or deliver your gifts to: 
 
Saint Clement School
Attn. Barbara Silva - Jesse Tree 
2524 N. Orchard St.
Chicago, IL 60614
 

**Please note: We ask that all gifts be mailed/delivered to Saint Clement School, not the parish office. In order to ensure we receive all packages sent by mail, please use the exact address listed above!

All gifts must be received no later than Saturday, December 19th by 1:30pm.
 
Click to download a printable shopping list and to learn more about the organizations Jesse Tree serves!
 

The organizations supported by Jesse Tree are:

The needs around Christmas are always great, but the immense challenges of this year have stretched many families and organizations thin. We continue to rely on your generosity to make this holiday joyful and hopeful for those we serve. THANK YOU!