ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIVING has become a Christmas tradition at St. John’s in Columbia. The program provides parishioners an opportunity to give two-for-one Gifts of Hope to friends and family.
ONE: You give an alternative ‘gift’ to a friend or relative at Christmas time. A specially designed Christmas card identifies the gift and tells the recipient about your Gift of Hope.
TWO: Your sponsored organization receives your Gift of Hope given in honor of your loved one. Your gift could be school supplies, legal
aid, etc. There are many options!
Alternative Christmas Gifts are particularly valuable for children. Receiving such gifts will open their eyes to the importance of living in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the global community who may lack access to safe shelter, education, and other necessities.
This year you have the option to donate online or to mail in your checks along with the Order Form. Cards in pdf format can be downloaded and printed at home!
Clermont Foundation
The Clermont Foundation, founded in 2003 to support impoverished children in Jacmel, Haiti, provides funding for food, clothing, and education to 17 Haitian boys who now reside with their families. A new 2021 project advances career training for eight recent alumni through educational and vocational scholarships.
Renee Clermont, a parishioner of St. John’s, established the foundation in memory of her husband who grew up in Jacmel. Her son and two daughters continue to lead the organization.
Tanza
nian Children’s Project
The Tanzanian Children’s Project (TCP), founded in 2009 by the St. John’s Council of the Knights of Columbus, raises funds to support medical, educational, and water projects in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania.
TCP, through works of charity, assists the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara, the female branch of the Religious Family of the Incarnate founded in Argentina, to improve the lives of the marginalized, especially children.
Immigration Outreach Service Center
The Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC) serves Baltimore’s immigrant community regardless of immigration status, ethnicity, or religious affiliation. 
IOSC helps with rental assistance applications, provides grocery cards, and sponsors ESOL, financial literacy, and computer classes within a safe, secure environment that recognizes the inherent dignity of each individual. IOSC partners with and empowers immigrants in the Baltimore area, including an Afghan family, to live full, successful lives.
Los Olivos CIS
Los Olivos CIS empowers women in El Salvador to start small businesses and work their way out of poverty. The organization offers training, start-up costs, and mentoring services for embroidery and indigo dyeing businesses, dairy farms, bakeries, and sewing cooperatives.
During 2020 some businesses had to adapt by cutting back or closing temporarily. CIS provided food and hygiene items to help the women and their families.
Challenging Heights
Challenging Heights rescues children in Ghana, some as young as six years old, who have been enslaved in the fishing industry on Lake Volta, where they are deprived of food, education, and healthcare. After being rescued, Challenging Heights rehabilitates the children and then reintegrates them into their home communities. The documentary ‘The Rescue List,’ which tells the story of children rescued from slavery by Challenging Heights, won an Emmy for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary in 2021.
As of September 30, Challenging Heights rescued 116 children in 2021. A colorful ceremony at the Ghana
Recovery Center welcomes the rescued children.