For well over 100 years, the Douglas F. McKey Christmas Club has been helping families and seniors at Christmas time. We cannot let the COVID Pandemic stop our Club from fulfilling that mission, especially now when the need is so great.
While we all enjoy the usual events of shopping, wrapping, food sorting, delivering and gathering together, this would be difficult if not impossible to do this year. To that end, your McKey Christmas Club board has developed a plan where we can continue to make a difference with your commitment and involvement, but in a few slightly different ways as follows:
- Food and Gifts:
We intend to provide 240 families and seniors with a Christmas meal and a Kohl’s gift card. We are working with Sendik’s to provide a food basket that will be wrapped and ready to go.
- Date and Safe Distribution Format:
Rather than go out on Monday night before Christmas, the distribution will take place the Saturday afternoon before Christmas, December 19th. We will meet at 1:00 p.m. that day at our usual MSOE location at the Todd Wehr Conference Center (1025 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202) to pick up the gift baskets and gift cards. Then the member can go out during daylight hours and distribute the food and gifts as we have in the past. Our goal is to provide for safe, contactless meetings with the families and seniors so that it should not be necessary to go into a house or apartment building.
We still need you to help distribute the food and gift cards on Saturday, December 19th. We all enjoy doing this and this will give you a chance to get out and meet the people we are helping.
- This Year’s Annual Dinner Becomes A Virtual Celebration:
Unfortunately, we are not able to safely gather at the University Club as we have in the past. However, we do intend to have a virtual celebration later in the day on Saturday so everyone can raise a glass together and perhaps even sing a few Christmas carols.
- Financial Support Through Household Sponsorship Instead of Dues:
Our cost for the Christmas meal and gift cards will be $150 per household we serve. We plan to offer graduated sponsorship levels so everyone can participate as they are able: $150 family sponsorship, $100 senior sponsorship, $75 junior sponsorships for those under 35, and a discretionary sponsorship.
That said, if we each sponsor at least one household at $150, we need 240 members to contribute. Think about making that $150 contribution for one, two or more households.
We know this isn’t ideal, but the Board believes we can’t abandon the good work the Club has done in a year when so many people are suffering so much. Some people may not want to participate in the food and gift distribution, and we understand that. But we are counting on all of you to continue your financial support so we can do what we do best, bring some cheer in the lives of people who really need to see the Christmas spirit.
So please plan to provide the necessary financial support. help with distribution and join our virtual celebration.
Additionally, to assure you get our emails, please go to your email contact settings and be sure to note that communications from (fill in McKey email “from” address) are safe and not spam or junk.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Chrissy Wabiszewski at (414) 232-4488.
Thanks for your continuing support of the Douglas F. McKey Christmas Club…helping make Christmas better for those in need since 1917.
