OLD TOWN – There is nothing better than giving a child a wrapped present on Christmas, but for some parents who have fallen on hard times, the holiday is a scary and stressful time.

All they want to do is put a present under the tree, but paying for fuel to keep their homes heated and for food for their kids comes first.

That is where the Secret Santa Workshop comes in.

“People are so happy to be able to go and choose gifts for their children,” said Lyn Dexter, assistant director of the Bodwell Volunteer Center at the University of Maine, which is one of three major partners supporting the workshop.

“We have some people who really do live in desperate situations. Some have never seen a Christmas stocking.”

The volunteer center works closely with Crossroads Ministries food pantry in Old Town and the local branch of The Salvation Army to collect, display and distribute Christmas gifts.

“They provide hope,” said a single mother of three who selected presents on Tuesday. Her youngest child is 12 and the oldest is 17.

The Milford woman, 42, lost her Bangor job on Friday. Since then she has been asking herself, “What do I do now?” She said paying for oil, food and her mortgage have been constant worries, and until she ran into Brenda Davis, director of Crossroads Ministries, she felt lost.

“It can happen to anyone,” she said. “You could have a bachelor’s degree and find yourself let go. There are people at the [Old Town] mill that have been there 32 years. Look at them now.” The mill closed earlier this year.

Parents fill out an application at Crossroads. Once accepted, they go to Santa’s Secret Workshop to pick out two presents for each of their children. Designed to make sure children get what they actually want, the process also keeps the parents involved, Dexter said.

“We get donations from the community, churches and a lot from the university,” she said. “The [university] credit union helps us out a lot, along with The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. We partner.”

Volunteers are on hand to wrap the presents at no charge, which also reduces parents’ stress, Dexter said. Gossamer Press donated the space this year to set up and display the donated items.

With the 400 layoffs at the Georgia-Pacific Corp. mill, the need for donations, especially for high school-age children, is greater than in years past, Dexter said.

“When you’ve been making $80,000 a year or $50,000 or $40,000 it’s a lot more difficult” to ask for help, she said.

“Right now, I have 100 applications and we’re still a week away,” Dexter said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we got another 20 or 25” this week.

While applications continue to role in, so do donations. On Tuesday, a man stopped by Crossroads to drop off a check for $500 to support the program.

On Tuesday, the Milford mother of three chose five items for her boys – one for each child and two DVDs they can share. She also picked another present for a 17-year-old boy who is living at her home.

“Somehow this place pulls off miracles,” she said.