The 2013 Holiday Service Project is underway as UCCS community members support up to 30 UCCS-related families during this year’s holiday season.
The annual service project, which ends Dec. 11, collects donations to be distributed to families in need within the UCCS community.
“It’s so heartwarming to see the happiness and gratitude this program brings,” Heidi Schwab, co-chair, Holiday Service Project, and general professional, Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment, said. “A lot of these individuals didn’t know how they were going to put food on the table, and now they’ve got a car full of food and gifts showing up for them. It truly makes their year.”
Opportunities to participate range from adopting a family in need, to donating food, cash donations and gifts.
Last year, the Holiday Service Project was able to give donations to the families of 29 UCCS students, faculty or staff members.
“We even received a request for a Christmas tree,” Schwab said. “Two days later Mary (Mary Lile, co-chair and accountant, Resource Management Division) was approached by a staff member who had an extra Christmas tree she wanted to donate.”
Individuals interested in participating in the Holiday Service Project can do so in the following ways.
Decorated Giving Trees: Each tree includes ornaments made by children at the Family Development Center that contain tags indicating a gift that may be purchased for a family member. Community members interested in donating gifts may remove the tag from the tree, purchase and wrap the gift listed on the tag, attach the tag to the outside of the wrapped present, and return it to one of the holiday drop boxes. Giving Trees are located in the University Center, the Bookstore, Main Hall, Dwire Hall, Columbine Hall and University Hall.
Holidrop Boxes: Decorated by volunteers at Facilities Services, these boxes are placed around campus to collect donations of canned or dry food and wrapped presents from the Giving Trees. The Holidrop Boxes are located in University Hall, Cragmor Hall, Dwire Hall, Centennial Hall, Columbine Hall, Kraemer Family Library, Osborne Center, Main Hall, Family Development Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Bookstore, University Center, Campus Services Building, Main Hall and the Parking Garage.
Cash donations: Cash donations will be used to purchase supermarket gift cards to be donated to each family. Containers will be located in the following areas until Dec. 11: University Hall, the Bookstore, University Center Information Desk, Dwire Hall, ENT, Public Safety, Jazzman’s, the Bursar’s office and the Kraemer Family Library. Checks should be made payable to “UCCS Holiday Service Project.”
The Barnes and Noble on Briargate will also collect books to be donated to each of the families participating.
Committee members include: Heidi Schwab and Mary Lile, co-chairs, Sarah Elsey, Margo Hatton, Janell Campbell, Gudrun McCollum, Rosemary Kelbel, Kerry Peterson, Carla Myers, Jessica Tvrdy, Beverly Kiselich, Tish Fleener, April Miller, Nancy Gadachy, Kara Carragher, Claire Ami, Deanna Ely, Sheryl Botts, Vince Gonzales, and Craig Olson.
Student volunteers include: Hayden Rosenblatt, Melanie Ware, Dallas Prewitt, Karina Ross, and Brandy Miller.
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