Help make this a special Christmas for a child at Murphy Harpst Children’s Center (MHCC). Often Christmas at Murphy-Harpst is the first time these kids get to make a personalized wish list or receive gifts that they asked for. Click on the link below to view an Amazon wish list and purchase gifts that are shipped directly to Murphy-Harpst. If you would prefer to purchase an Amazon gift card, you can leave it with Denise Luders in the church office. All gifts need to be ordered no later than December 5 and should have an estimated delivery date of no later than December 15. If you have any questions, please contact Kyle Moore at jdmoore@mindspring.com. Thanks!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center?

Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center is a nonprofit residential treatment center that provides a safe haven for some of Georgia’s most abused children. It is located in Cedartown, Georgia. Most of the children (age 10 and older) actually live on the Murphy-Harpst campus and receive daily therapy. Younger children live in specialized foster homes and receive services from Murphy-Harpst. Members of Due West UMC have supported the center in a WIDE variety of ways for many, many years. Teams from our church actually go and wrap all the Christmas gifts!

Is Due West UMC responsible for all the Christmas gifts?

No, Murphy-Harpst serves 175-200 children at a time. Children receive 3-5 gifts for Christmas. Our church has been asked to provide 300 gifts. There are other churches who will also buy gifts, plus individual and corporate donors. Due West UMC, however, has provided the bulk of the gifts for many years. 

If I donate an Amazon gift card, how is it used?

If a gift card is on the Amazon wish list, the teenager is saving for an item that costs more than the established price limit. It is generally some type of technology or tennis shoes.  The gift card is wrapped and opened on Christmas morning. 

If you purchase a gift card (available at most grocery and drug stores) and leave it with Denise Luders in the church office, it is combined with other gift card donations to purchase higher priced items on the wish list. Once everything has been ordered, the cards are given to Murphy-Harpst for last minute purchases. Last Christmas, five new kids were admitted the first week of December and the donated gift cards were used to buy their gifts. Two of those children arrived with only the clothes that they were wearing, so gift cards were also used to buy jeans and sweatshirts for them. 

Can items be purchased from places other than Amazon?

Yes. Please click on the “Buying this gift elsewhere?” on the Amazon list and leave the item with Denise Luders in the church office no later than Dec. 1. 

What does it mean when the item on Amazon does not indicate a price and has a “See All Buying Options” box?

This indicates that Amazon currently does not have the item in stock and they have given you the option of purchasing from other sellers. You can definitely do this. Be aware this sometimes means there is not free shipping and or the item may not arrive as quickly. Please be certain that you make note of these possible changes.  

Will items be added to the list during the month?

Possibly. If a new child arrives during the month, their wishes might be added to the list. Also, if an item is out of stock for over a week, it might1 possibly be deleted and a replacement gift idea added. 

Can I send a personal note to the gift recipient?

Yes! Under the “Choose gift options” heading, there is a box where a gift message can be added (for example: For Pam, Wishing you the best Christmas, Kyle DWUMC). The kids really appreciate seeing these notes and it helps the Murphy-Harpst staff to organize gifts as they arrived throughout the month.

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