SALT LAKE CITY — Christmas is just a few days away, but the season of giving isn’t over just yet.
Some local businesses in Salt Lake County have a gifting tree up and are still hoping people will come donate.
It’s a hectic time of year if you’re in the cookie business. RubySnap's bakery manager Michelle Brockman said it’s crazy, but wonderful.
"Being connected, being there for our community,” Brockman said. “Being able to offer a place where people can come and give their donations to help kids.”
In the lobby of RubySnap, their Christmas tree is still filled with ornaments.
“Let’s be honest. This time of year, you get so busy and you get wrapped up in all of things that you’re supposed to do, and you take that moment and just realize, 'I’m truly blessed,' or 'I’m lucky I have a home to go to,' you can turn around and go, 'I can give something,'” Brockman said.
Those gifts go to thousands of children at Shelter Kids. The warmth follows Emily Read, the board president of Shelter Kids, right into their building.
“The donations that we get basically help us throughout the year, not just for the holidays. It fills this whole room of donations. This is really the community coming together,” Read said.
This year, she said they’re seeing fewer grocery items and snack donations.
“I think maybe because the cost of groceries is more expensive, so really a push on that, individual snacks, as well as hygiene products, full-size hygiene products we need always throughout the year,” Read added.
Sorting through thousands of items isn’t exactly easy, but with more donations and more volunteers, it makes the job even more rewarding.
“My first year doing this, it was just me and Noelle. A lot of it by ourselves," said Miranda Lavallee, the after school program coordinator for Shelter Kids. "Now I get to do the fun stuff. Now I open Amazon packages, and it fills the dopamine with shopping."
The gifting tree at RubySnap will be picked up this week, but over the past two days, Brockman said they’ve seen an uptick in people grabbing ornaments to give back.
“Our job is joy,” Brockman said. "Our job is to make you feel better when you walk out this door.”
For more information on how to help Shelter Kids, you can visit their website here.
