Courtesy photo Christmas gifts for needy families are collected at St. Francis Hospital.

ESCANABA — OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group employees enjoyed another year of giving this Christmas season, according to hospital officials. Staff from 18 departments throughout the hospital, medical group and OSF Home Care Services sponsored 13 local families for Christmas through St. Vincent de Paul, a local Catholic charity providing food, temporary housing and other services for people in need.

2021 marks the 20th year that OSF St. Francis has been involved in the program. OSF St. Francis works with St. Vincent de Paul to identify families in need and gathers lists of the children, their ages and items they may want for Christmas.

Once the families are identified, departments throughout OSF St. Francis volunteer to “adopt” a family for Christmas and receive the wish list for that family. Employees donate their time and resources to shop for gifts, which they wrap and deliver to a collection point at the hospital for St. Vincent de Paul Christmas basket volunteers to pick up.

“It is always so exciting to see all of the gifts filling the room, the excitement is shared by all of our staff delivering the gifts,” said Joanna Wilbee-Amis, community relations coordinator at OSF St. Francis. “It feels good to know we are helping make Christmas special for some families in our community.”