Youth lead Blessed Sacrament Parish in Gift of the Drummer program to donate to the needy

Intermountain Catholic

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The Blessed Sacrament youth group and returning college students gather to wrap gifts donated to the Gift of the Drummer program, which the youth group has headed for 12 years. Courtesy photo/Shelly Valdez

SANDY — The Blessed Sacrament youth group led this year’s parish Gift of the Drummer service project, which has been the tradition for the past 12 years.

"We are providing Christmas for 20 families as well as10 foster teens," said Shelly Valdez, who co-ministers Blessed Sacrament’s youth group with her husband, John. "The families range from a single father with a small child to several large families. Our parish is very generous. We have families who are struggling themselves, and retired people on fixed incomes who continue to help. They say Christmas is all about giving in the name of Christ. We also have college students who were youth leaders who come back during their Christmas vacations to help."

Every year the names of families are submitted and gifts are donated by people in the parish and the surrounding community. Sometimes they are received too late for gift-givers to go shopping, so parishioners provide gift baskets full of food for them, said Valdez. All of the families receive a food basket and a gift card.

Parishioner Warren Bitter, a manager at Fresh Market, and his wife, Ann, provide a turkey and everything to make the dinner for each family, said Valdez. "We want to let these people know that someone in society loves them," she said. "After people get on their feet, they help us help other families."

"Christmas is a time to give gifts," said parishioner Mairah Mills, a sophomore at Skyline who gave up her Christmas to buy for four foster kids. "Every year I think about the gifts I get and play with for about 10 minutes, and I thought about those who might not get anything," said Mills. "My family is buying four gifts this year and I wanted to help. One of the good things about the youth service projects is doing it with others; it’s fun."

Youth member Sammie Garcia also decided to give up some of her Christmas for those in need. "I’m very proud of her because she was so concerned about others, and asked how much we were planning to spend on her for Christmas," said her mother, Leigh Anne Garcia.

"I spent $100 of my Christmas money to purchase gifts for eight people," said Sammie, a freshman at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. "It was a good feeling. I have definitely learned that everyone is not as fortunate as I am."

Leigh Anne Garcia is the Brownie leader for her younger daughter and the third- and fourth-graders in Troop 2272 who purchased Christmas for two foster girls. "I think it is so important to teach our children to give back," she said. "The Brownies were excited to shop for the girls and bought more than was on their lists. They wrapped the presents and felt good knowing the girls were going to have a really nice Christmas."

Brittany Valdez grew up helping with Gift of the Drummer because her parents are the youth ministers. "It has become what Christmas is to me," said Valdez, who is now a University of Utah student. "It is important to me that the kids get something for Christmas. It is good for the youth group to put themselves aside and do the work for Gift of the Drummer. It means so much to have the parish support them as well as people who aren’t parishioners. Belonging to the youth group, doing the service projects and getting to know other Catholic youth was one of the best things in my life."