Recognizing that the Christmas Angel Tree program in Gilmer County served children only to the age of 12, the Gilmer County Family Resource Network (FRN) has filled the gap for youth ages 13 to 18 with the Teen Holiday Shoe Box program. Through the program, they fill plastic totes with hygiene items and small goodies for area teens and distribute them at Christmas.

A $2,000 PACF grant from the Mid-Ohio Valley Endowment for Women, Children, and Families helped purchase items for the 40 Teen Holiday Shoe Box participants in 2019, including hair care items, body wash, deodorant, socks, gloves, wallets, and body lotion. The FRN reports that one of the families that picked up the shoe box was a grandmother raising her granddaughters. Without the program, she would not have been able to provide anything for her oldest granddaughter for the holidays.

"Our Teen Holiday Shoe Box provided an amazing resource to our families, and was successful in bringing so many different volunteers together to serve our community," said Jessica Greenleaf, FRN Director.