Interfaith gives thanks, talks upcoming seasonal work

11/26/2025

By Lauren Royce, Editor
MONTROSE — Susquehanna County Interfaith has their hands full and their hearts even fuller this Christmas season with multiple charities for people to participate in.
“A lot of families have to choose, do I buy gifts for my kids or do I pay rent? And we don’t want them to do that,” said Cindy Beeman, director of Interfaith. “We want them to know that they have the ability to pay their rent, and if we can help them out with some gifts during this time, this crisis whatever the crisis might be, then that’s a good thing.”
Right now, the due date for Toy Tag items is coming up on Dec. 4. Toy Tags are still available at Interfaith locations and local businesses.
“Each tag represents a child’s wish, something they want for Christmas,” Beeman said. “All the families that come in and ask for gifts for their kids, they are fully vetted so that we know that there is a real need in their lives. And we want to help them to be able to stretch the funds they have and provide a beautiful Christmas for their children.”
Already, tags and gifts are coming back to interfaiths auditorium, she said. Toy Tags and the Food Drive work in tandem as the Christmas Bureau Program.
“That food (drive) is for Christmas dinner,” Beeman said. “We provide a bag of food for families for the week after Christmas because the kids are home, and we want to help them stretch their food budget a little.”
Each tag has a number corresponding to a family so everyone gets what is meant for them.
“The week after Thanksgiving is when we start, all the churches and groups that provide food for us, keep bringing those in and then we’ll pack all the food and then all the toys will get packed into bags for the families.”
Beeman said this year the drive through giveaway is on Dec. 18 for families, and on Dec. 17 seniors and adoptive families drive through and pick up their bags. Toys and food get taken to Susquehanna and Forest City interfaith locations as well on Dec. 19. High school students from Elk Lake and Montrose typically will volunteer to run the gift bags to those arriving.
“We also give them to anybody that’s in assisted living, there’s also families that have a family member that’s incarcerated so they also get gifts as well,” Beeman said. “If we counted up all the volunteers and all the groups that come to help bring food or bring gifts, there’s well over a hundred different organizations and groups that come together and help make this really a beautiful community effort to make Christmas nice.”
Giving Tuesday will open the Tuesday right after Thanksgiving. Interfaith has partnered with All One Foundation, a platform where people can pledge to donate a certain amount of money and the foundation will match the first $1,000 Interfaith receives in donations. So, the gifts will go twice as far, Beeman said. The foundation is based in Wilkes-Barre.
“On the 26th, that opens and then you can start giving all the way up to Dec. 3,” she said. Giving through the foundation that day will cover the card charge costs for donating online as well. Checks will be accepted but must be given in a timely manner in order for the foundation to match it.
There will also be a bell ringing in partnership with the Salvation Army from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve to support emergency services in Susquehanna County. Interfaith’s Montrose location is at 526 Church Street in Montrose. Be sure to keep them on your list of spots to visit during Christmas in Montrose on Dec. 5-7.