7th Annual Karly's Tree of Lights

For the past seven years, Lois and Gregg have kicked off the holiday season by hosting a  fundraiser for Valley Outreach, the incredible local food shelf and social service organization in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley. This year people need our help as food insecurity continues to rise. 

Zoe assisting with the 2021 tree lighting.

Lois and Gregg continue Karly's legacy of caring about people who need food support and stepping up to do what they can to help. Karly was especially concerned that children were hungry and inspired her family to collect food for the food-shelf, the last few years of her life. This fundraiser has been a beautiful way of keeping Karly's legacy alive since her passing in 2012.

The past few years have been some of the most difficult years in many people's lifetimes, and it has affected us deeply.  The rising cost of food has impacted everyone, but especially those who have fixed incomes. Many people using food shelves are doing so for the first time. 

Valley Outreach serves anyone in the St. Croix Valley and surrounding areas who need food, rental assistance or clothing. 

In a recent Social Media post, Valley Outreach shared: 

We are seeing a stunning increase in monthly demand for our food programs, as access to affordable, healthy food is becoming increasingly difficult for individuals and families to obtain.

Household visits per month over the past 3 years:

2020: 1000

2021: 1720

2022: 3000 (year to date)

Between 2020 and today, we have seen about a 170% increase in the monthly demand for our food programs.

Valley Outreaches top food shelf need is cash. For every $1 donated, Valley Outreach can leverage $8-$10 in buying power through The Food Group and Second Harvest Heartland as they purchase needed items in bulk. To learn more about the range of services Valley Outreach provides, check out this video: https://valleyoutreachmn.org/about-us/

Karly's Tree of Lights has raised close to $10,000 over the previous 6 years! Our goal is to raise $3000 for VO by December 31, 2022. 

If you're able to join Lois, Gregg and Leah by contributing to Valley Outreach in memory of Karly, they would be so grateful.

Together, we can do so much to bring light and comfort into people's lives. 

Karly's poem: 

In My Own Words

I see these things with my own eyes

I see a positive future

I see strength

I see hope

I see journeys yet unknown

I hear music yet to be composed

I see friends who believe

I see life with meaning

I see kindness in strangers eyes

I see hearts open

I see you

See me

I see you

See me.

Karly Wahlin

October 2009