The Gift of Giving

With a focus on community service through outreach, parishioners of Saint Anastasia's in Douglaston-Little Neck will get to share in the joy of bringing Christmas this year to northeast Queens residents in need.

Located in the hallway next to Saint Anastasia's church, the Giving Tree returns once a year to serve as a reminder to parishioners of the true meaning of Christmas, according to parishioner Mary Haggerty of Douglaston.

"I'm proud to be a part of this parish which gives so much of itself, especially around the holidays, to the community," Haggerty said after mass on last Thursday.

According to rectory staff, the Giving Tree effort, taking place seasonally for almost 10 years, is well on its way to sponsoring 490 gift requests this holiday season.

"The joy of giving is really the best part of the mission for me," Haggerty said.

Also proud to contribute to this year's Giving Tree were parishioners Michael and Lauren Hunt.

"We were at Toy-R-Us this past Friday, picking things out," Michael Hunt said.

However, not wanting to spoil the Christmas Day surprise for a lucky little girl or boy, the Hunts wouldn't reveal what they had bought.

"My wife's still got to wrap them, but it's still a secret — we'll have to wait 'till Christmas," he said.

One thing that's definitely not a secret to all of the parishioners of Saint Anastasia is the knowledge that one doesn't have to wait until Christmas to experience the joy of giving this holiday season.

With a Dec. 16 deadline for giving at Saint Anastasia's, Little Neck residents still have two weeks left to drop off their gifts. 

For those interested in giving, the staff at Saint Anastasia's requests that the gifts be delivered already wrapped with a note attached explaining what the item is and whether it's for a boy, girl or adult, so they can distribute it accordingly.

To find out more about the Giving Tree, visit www.stanastasia.info.