Reach into the Collection Basket

On the First Sunday of Advent at Spirit of Christ Church in Arvada, Colorado, members of the community get to take something from the collection basket. Sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it, when the purpose of this Reverse Collection is actually to give to the poor and needy in the surrounding areas?

What the parishioners take is a color-coded tag. Each tag contains details about someone who needs to be remembered during the Christmas season—first name, age, and special request. The tags are color-coded to correspond to a particular organization. Blue tags might be keyed to a home for unwed mothers; yellow to a
rehab center for young boys; green for a drug and alcohol transition program; white
for a nearby nursing home, and so on. During November the parish solicits lists of names and requests from local organizations; volunteers then transfer the individual names to the appropriate tags.

Parishioners are asked to return the tags—with the wrapped gifts they have purchased—to the Community Center, where parish volunteers have placed large posters in different spaces around the room. Each poster is decorated with a color-coded bow that matches the color of a tag. Parishioners then place their gift in the appropriate place. Representatives of the various organizations are expected to send trucks to pick up their gifts.

The Reverse Collection has been an outstanding success at Spirit of Christ Church. Parishioners at the early Masses are asked not to take too many tags so that there are enough tags for all Masses. Those who missed the collection will ask the parish staff, “Where can I get my tag? I was away last weekend.” If there are any leftover tags, staff members encourage people to stop by the parish office during the week.

As for the recipients, Christmas is really Christmas. A boy at the rehab center
requested a blender for the house; he received one. A woman and her children who were transitioning from a homeless shelter asked for “towels and a bathroom rug in forest green.” Her thank-you note said, “I only make $700 a month and could never afford to buy a bathroom rug. Thank you so much.”

There are many other benefits. Parish volunteers for this project may be people who
can’t make a year-round commitment or attend evening meetings, but they can help
out for a few weeks a year. Their gifts of time and talent have been used for others. By sending a collection basket through the church at each Mass, the parish also enables more people to participate, calling on not just a few, but many. Sharing time, talent, and treasure takes on a new dimension in Arvada, where the Spirit of Christ is very much alive!

For How-to Guidelines on implementing a Reverse Collection in your parish, click here.



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