Orange County’s Mariners Church Asks Its 10,000 Members to Rethink Christmas by Buying "Give" Cards for the Poor and Needy

Orange CountyÆs Mariners Church Asks Its 10,000 Members to Rethink Christmas by Buying "Give" Cards for the Poor and Needy

Business Wire - December 17, 2008

--"Christmas Different" Program Will Raise More than $100,000 By Selling "Give" Cards that Allow Recipients to Pick the Benefiting Charity

--Mariners Church:

WHAT:

Mariners Church is asking its 8,000 to 10,000 members to entirely rethink Christmas in 2008 in the areas of gift-giving and volunteering to support the poor and needy in Southern California and beyond.

Inspired by the economy and the increasing needs in its home community of Orange County, Calif., the churchÆs Lighthouse Ministries and Global Outreach groups are encouraging church members to buy "give" cards for friends and family on their holiday shopping list. Entitled "Christmas Different," the program allows recipients to select the benefiting charity among five timely local and global causes:

-- Relief to families impacted by the Nov. 2008 Southern California wildfires

-- Medicine to HIV/AIDS patients in Africa

-- Wheelchairs for the disabled in Third World countries

-- Homes for the homeless in Baja California

-- Christmas gifts for at-risk families in Orange County

The program also includes dozens of opportunities for church members to volunteer throughout the community. The original program goal was to raise $25,000 for the five charities.

Thanks to an overwhelming response, the church has raised $91,000 to date and expects to raise more than $100,000 overall - all of it above and beyond its annual gift drive for the area poor and needy (4,300 gifts). As part of the "Christmas Different" program, an estimated 1,055 volunteers will donate 5,386 volunteer hours during the holiday season.

WHEN:

"Christmas Different" continues through Dec. 24, 2008

WHERE:

Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif. - www.marinerschurch.org. (949) 854-7600

COST:

Mariners Give Cards are sold in denominations of $25. Recipients are directed to www.christmasdifferent.org to choose the charity they want to support.

MEDIA:

Bob Ochsner at (949) 748-7000 or Amy Moylan at (949) 854-7030 ext. 326 or www.marinerschurch.org

Contacts

Mariners Church | Bob Ochsner, 949-748-7000 | Amy Moylan, 949-854-7030 ext. 326 | www.marinerschurch.org

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