When Katherine Killelea was 11 years old, the Lambert family told her that if she helped them distribute gifts to needy children at Christmas, she would get a cup of cocoa.

But what has kept her active as a volunteer with the Children’s Christmas Tree Fund are the bigger rewards she gets from taking part – not tangible gifts, but intangible ones.

&uot;Through giving, you receive,&uot;&160;said Killelea, chairman of the fund. &uot;It make you feel good to give back to your community. And it’s a beautiful Natchez tradition, one I&160;hope will be carried on for years to come.&uot;

The Children’s Christmas Tree Fund, which was started in the early 1900s, is a group of volunteers who raise donations from the community to give toys and clothes to up to 300 children each year. The children’s names are forwarded to the fund by Catholic Charities.

Gifts are sorted into bags based on the age and sex of the child and distributed on Christmas Eve in the auditorium of Braden School. Members of the Santa Claus Committee, which donated $1,000 to the fund this year, are there to greet children and help hand them gifts.

But preparation for that day actually starts each July, when the fund’s volunteers start gathering toys, and doesn’t stop until city trucks carry the sorted gifts to the school and the last present is handed to a child.

As chairman, Killelea organizes everything from donations to buying and distributing gifts – but she admits to delegating many duties to other volunteers.

&uot;There are so many people throughout the area who make donations and volunteer to help us,&uot;&160;Killelea said. &uot;It’s a community effort. And that is what makes it so special.&uot;