For another year, the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, and Freezer Ministry and Garden Gatherers will spread holiday cheer, housing resources and meals with their presence at Christmas City Village in Historic Bethlehem.
In exchange for monetary donations to support the groups’ missions, donors will receive homemade cookies and ornaments made by local volunteers, crafters and artists.
Volunteers spent months baking and freezing 500 dozen cookies, which will be paired with hot apple cider in November and rich, creamy hot chocolate in December. The volunteers often bake in installments, a dozen here, a dozen there until their goal is met.
The Bethlehem Emergency Shelter’s overarching goal, said Executive Director Robert Rapp, is to “keep folks alive in the winter.” From November 1 through April 30, the shelter, located at the UCC Church in Bethlehem, provides 65 beds and a warm meal for what Rapp calls their street neighbors.
“The shelter keeps them well fed and provides a safe environment to get a good night’s rest,” Rapp told lehighvalleylive.com.
Due to the ongoing housing crisis, half of the shelter guests last year were experiencing homelessness for the first time, Rapp said. And he expects that number to climb now that this season is underway.
The groups’ hut at Christmas Village brought in roughly $15,000 last year, which goes directly to its various operating costs. This year, the team is excited about its new hut location at the Sun Inn Courtyard, a prime spot for foot traffic.
Robert Wingrove, executive director for Freezer Ministry and Garden Gatherers, brought the groups together four years ago to the Christmas Huts, seeing value in fundraising, yes, but also spreading the word about the work he, Rapp and their volunteers are doing to help those in the community.
The Freezer Ministry took shape in 2010, preparing meals for people and families in need. In 2024 alone, the ministry prepared 120,000 meals. The Garden Gatherers arm, which started in 2023, provides free fruit and vegetables to the Lehigh Valley community by way of 90 farmers’ markets at local elementary and middle schools, and churches. Together, the entities have provided nearly 540,000 meals, which includes fresh produce.
This year, Wingrove is particularly excited about their location at the Sun Inn Courtyard, which gives them access to a stage for musical performances by seven groups (and counting) donating time for holiday entertainment. He is looking forward to handing out cookies and hot chocolate to families with lots of kids who might be downtown to take in the sights and lights.
“Parents have told me, ‘This is the highlight of our Christmas,” Wingrove told lehighvalleylive.com. “The kids asked if we could go back for cookies.”
Last year Wingrove said their hut ran out of cookies; they had 5,000. This year, the team is preparing 6,000 cookies.
“Who knows?” Wingrove said. “We could call for 7,000 or 8,000 next year.”
The Christmas City Village kicked off its 2025 season on Nov. 14. It will reopen from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, including the schedule for the season, visit the Historic Bethlehem website.
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