In 1981, Barbara Fagin and a group of community leaders helped families in need at Christmas by providing a department store setting where they could “shop” for free gifts. This group provided Christmas for 363 families with only an abandoned warehouse, used clothing and housewares donated by their friends, and a small amount of cash to purchase new toys, socks and underwear.
This organization, founded as The Christmas Connection, has grown substantially over the years. We share with families in need year-round, providing school uniforms, helping families in crisis and more. To better communicate this growth in services, we changed our name to Sharing Tree in 2015. As we move forward under a new name, our mission remains the same: Serving families in need through a dignified, no-cost shopping experience.