Resources & Support

Christmas Gifts That Give Back
Story by Audrey Hanes, Photo by Amy Long
Published in Jonesboro Occasions Magazine, November 2011

These days, it’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. Stores start selling Christmas décor in the middle of the summer, children are constantly bombarded with commercials for more toys than they could ever play with and adults often become overwhelmed by the pressures that go along with holiday gifting and entertaining. But is that what Christmas is really about?

Stacy Gestring doesn’t think so, which is why she is introducing Jonesboro to a whole new type of “gifting” this Christmas with the inaugural Art with Heart charitable event.

“The idea stems from going on mission trips to India and Africa,” said Gestring, who owns and operates Art Advertising with her husband, Gary. “After going on mission trips there, it really gives you a whole new perspective and makes you realize just how much we are blessed with.

“I love, love Christmas, but it has just become so commercialized. I became disenchanted with it.”

Gestring, who is on the mission strategy team at Central Baptist Church, is passionate about mission work and about helping those who are less fortunate. In fact, just before Christmas next month, she and her husband are taking their two children, 14-year-old Graham and 10-year-old-Hannah, on a mission trip to an orphanage in Mexico.

Because of the many mission trips that they have been a part of, the Gestrings and the staff at Art Advertising have witnessed firsthand that joy is completely unrelated to material things. They feel that Christmas is the epitome of that and that it should be about living out Christ’s example rather than counting how many presents are under the tree.

“(Our) goal is to cause people to pause and realize how much we each have to be thankful for and that we don’t really ‘need’ more stuff for Christmas, (and) that the joy and contentment which Christmas should bring really has very little to do with the things we can buy,” said Gestring.

At the charitable event, attendees will be able to visit booths for CASA, The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, the NEA Autism Association, the Women’s Crisis Center and King’s Ranch. At each booth, they will be able to make a donation on behalf of those on their Christmas shopping list. With each donation, attendees will receive a Christmas card to give friends and loved ones to explain that rather than a material gift, a donation to a charity has been made in their name instead.

Gestring says that she, along with fellow Art with Heart organizers Abby Lee and Leslie Moore, chose to feature the five charities because they want to give them more exposure and to share with others the great things that the non-profit organizations are doing not only for the Jonesboro community, but worldwide.
“Think about how much better it is to give than to receive,” said Gestring. “What would mean more this Christmas: to feed a child for a year or to get another snow baby for your shelf?”

In addition to each charity’s booth, several local artists will feature pieces that range from paintings to sculptures to photographs. Many of Art Advertising’s own talented artists will be showcasing their work, and Lindsey Little, Brandy Turner, Penny Pausch, Jeremiah Knight and Leo Calamita will also be featured at the event. Their work will be available for purchase at Art with Heart, and many of the artists will use their proceeds to benefit various philanthropic causes that are close to their hearts.

“Stacy has a passion for giving back to others and for art, so Art with Heart is really such a great way for her to combine her two passions into an event that we hope will really impact people and how they approach Christmas,” said Lee.
For Gestring, the event is about inspiring people to think about what touches their hearts so that they can let their friends and family know that they’d rather have something a bit more untraditional for Christmas this year.

“We want people to come and enjoy the event and support the charities featured at Art with Heart,” said Gestring. “It doesn’t make sense that we celebrate the most selfless act in the history of the world by making lists of what we want people to buy for us. ... We need to show our kids that it’s not about the ‘stuff.’”

Art with Heart will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Art Advertising, located at 2300 West Washington Ave. Please call 935-4042 for more information.