Catholic Social Service will offer some one-of-a-kind gift baskets at an upcoming fundraiser. To find volunteers to create them, the nonprofit agency has created a “Lenten Gift Basket Tree.”
Like a Christmas Giving Tree where individuals and families choose a tag and make Christmas a little brighter for those in need, the Lenten Gift Basket Tree is an invitation for people to pick and create one of several gift baskets, said Rebecca Ford at the CSS office in Great Bend.
There isn’t an actual tree with tags, Ford admits. However, people can go to the CSS website (catholicsocialservice.org) to choose which gift basket they will make and donate. Some of choices – approximately 30 are pictured – include a coffee theme, golf lovers basket, fishing basket or chocolate lovers basket.
“If someone can see some ideas, they may realize ‘I can do one,’” Ford said.  
The baskets must be completed and turned in to a CSS office by noon on Holy Thursday, April 17. They will become live or silent auction items at the Catholic Social Service annual Wine Tasting event. Other auction items are also welcome, Ford said.
The Wine Tasting fundraiser, which includes live and silent auctions, helps CSS improve the lives of people in 28 southwest Kansas counties with adoption services, teen mom support, free pregnancy counseling, healthy relationships, addiction counseling and economic assistance for those who are in need.
“All those things help individuals and families to be happier and self-sufficient,” Ford said. “We try to look around for the need.” She would like to bring a new program for teen mothers to Great Bend, but doesn’t have the funding yet.
“This is our major fundraiser of the year,” she said. “It bridges the gap between other funding sources, (which include) grants and United Way. It gives us a little wiggle room.”
Catholic Social Service serves people regardless of their faith, Ford noted.
The 13th annual Wine Tasting will be held from 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 2, at the Great Bend Knights of Columbus – a new location for the event. It will feature wines from around the world, as well as award-winning wines from local Kansas vintners and specialty beers and spirits. Tasting and hors d’oeuvres will be followed by live music by classical guitarist Richard J. Falcon Jr., and the live and silent auction.
Tickets are $35 per person or $250 per table and may be reserved through CSS.
Also available are tickets for a drawing for a complete wine cellar – 50 bottles of wine valued at $1,000. The drawing will be that night but ticket holders need not be present to win. A suggested donation for one ticket is $10.
.Tickets are available at CSS offices in Great Bend, Garden City and Dodge City. For more information, contact Ford at the CSS Great Bend office, 2201 16th St. The telephone number is 620-792-1393.