A Dripping Springs tradition -Project Elf

Project ELF

A Dripping Springs tradition -Project Elf

By Gary Zupancic

Helping Hands is known for its good work in the community as a food pantry, but around Christmas time, it embarks on a new mission—helping Santa’s Elfs provide gifts for area boys and girls.

During this very busy season, as most of us celebrate our good fortune of the past year, it’s important to remember that there are others around town that are not so lucky. This is where Project Elf comes into the giving season.

The way Project Elf works is this-- Christmas trees are placed around town in businesses, churches and all the DSISD schools. The Christmas Trees have paper mittens on them. Each mitten has gender and age on it, and it representing a child in need of a Merry Christmas. There are 133 families with 396 children that are singed up so far.

“I think it is been ten or twelve years ago that this has been started. Now it has grown to be huge, not run out of someone’s living room as it did when it was started,” Consuelo Davidson of HH said. 

“Project Elf makes sure every child gets two presents, one clothes, the other a toy. Plus every child gets a book and a board game for family night,” Davidson said. The trees and mittens to area churches and businesses have been distributed, however area businesses can still request one.

On December 11-12, the purchased (and wrapped) gifts need to be returned to the tree locations, along with the mitten.  Gifts can also be dropped off directly at Project Elf’s Headquarter, which is the Helping Hands Foundry, located at 28710 RR-12 (On the campus of the Dripping Springs United Methodist Church) .

Then on December 17 and 18, the families that signed up for Project Elf, pick up their children’s gifts at the Helping Hands Foundry.

So during this busy season as you run your errands, look for the Project Elf trees around town. This is a proud community tradition we can all participate in.

For more information on Project Elf, call (512) 820-0476. 

Project Elf gift giving Christmas Tree locations are:

Adair Dental 

Church of Christ

City Hall

Cunningham Orthodontics

Driftwood Methodist

DS Elementary School

DS High School

DS Jennifer Martinez

DS Middle School

DS Presbyterian Church

DS Rooster Spring Elementary

DS Sycamore Elementary

DS Sycamore Middle School

DS United Methodist Church

DS Walnut Elementary

DS Women Club

Episcopal Church

First Baptist Church

Friendship Creekside

Headwaters

Hill Country Care

Kethley PT - Dripping

Kethley PT - Sawyer Ranch

Lions Club

Lisa Garza

Mt Olive Lutheran