You will see something familiar this time of the year when you walk into the first floor Civic Center lobby, in the Village of Sussex. It's the Joy Tree. 

Sussex Village Administrator Jeremy Smith told WTKM News about this special holiday  tradition.

"It is nice, every year around the holiday season. We work with the Sussex Outreach Services to identify those in need for some holiday gifts."   

The Joy Tree is decorated with gift idea tags. Community members are invited to choose as many tags as they wish and return the wrapped gift or gifts to the Sussex Civic Center no later than Wednesday, December 10. The gifts are then distributed by the Sussex Outreach Services.

Sussex Outreach Services is the social ministry arm of the Cooperating Churches of Sussex. They serve families and individuals and help them with food, emergency financial assistance, preventive health programming, resources and referrals.  They serve all families and individuals in the Hamilton School District, which includes Sussex, the Village of Lisbon, Lannon, and parts of Merton, Lisbon, Butler, and Menomonee Falls.  

The Sussex Civic Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Photo by the Village of Sussex.