MANISTIQUE — The Schoolcraft County Department of Health and Human Services is now taking applications for the Christmas Program. The Schoolcraft Community Giving Christmas Program for Families with Children provides Christmas gifts for children in need, as well as a food voucher for their families to help with a Christmas meal. The program is county wide and is managed by the Schoolcraft County MDHHS and volunteers from the Christmas Committee.

To be eligible a family must have minor children living with them and participate in the Food Assistance Program with MDHHS in Schoolcraft County. Families in need of assistance should obtain an application at the MDHHS office in Manistique.

If a family lives in an outlying area, they may call and request that an application be mailed to them.

The applications must be returned to MDHHS by Nov. 4 (must be turned in to MDHHS or postmarked by that date).

Applications are made available each year Oct. 1. The deadline is usually within the first week of November.

In general, October should be the month to obtain an application and return it.

Those who wish to support that program may take a gift tag from one of the area community giving trees located in area churches, banks, and credit unions and buy a gift for a child in need. For those late holiday shoppers, be aware that gifts from the area giving trees are due back Dec. 5.

The Schoolcraft Community Giving Program is also in need of monetary donations to assist with food vouchers given to families to help with a Christmas meal. Checks may be mailed to Schoolcraft County MDHHS Christmas Program, 300 Walnut St., Rm 175A, Manistique, MI 49854.

All donations are tax-deductible and will remain entirely in Schoolcraft County for the Christmas Program.

In addition, any groups, businesses, organizations or individuals can sponsor a family for Christmas, providing gifts for all of the children in the same family (donors may choose the number of children) by contacting MDHHS. The deadline for applying to sponsor a family is Oct. 30.

For more information about about the Schoolcraft County Community Giving Christmas Program, contact John Sherman- Jones, community resource coordinator, MDHHS at (906) 387- 4440.