Christmas Anonymous brings holiday cheer to families in need

Abby Sharpe, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·1 min read

Dec. 10—ROCHESTER — Christmas Anonymous hosted its Store Day for families in need across Olmsted County at Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester on Saturday.

Christmas Anonymous, a volunteer organization, accepted donations of toys, books, shoes and clothes ahead of the annual Store Day, where about 530 families in need would shop for presents.

Steve Steele, who has volunteered with Christmas Anonymous for 15 years and served as president for four, gave a tour of the store, which spanned two floors.

The toys, divided by age group, filled two basement rooms. Books were spread over a row of tables in the hallway. Upstairs, clothes, hats and mittens were organized over tables surrounding a Christmas tree.

Between 500 and 600 volunteers were expected to staff the Store Day. Among the many volunteers were students from Byron and Dover-Eyota.

Steele said John Marshall High School students pick Christmas Anonymous as its school charity every year.

"They spend three weeks in December before Christmas break raising money and doing all kids of things. Making cookies, all kinds of really fun things," he said. "And they raised $30,000. That's incredible."