Adopt-a-Family for Holidays & Toy and Gift Drive
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
As we begin to approach the holiday season, it is imperative to recognize the privilege of being able to celebrate these holidays. Thanksgiving often brings attention to this cause, but the message can get lost as we approach the winter holidays. Volunteering is a fantastic option for helping those around you in the local community. Geneseo provides many opportunities for students and organizations to volunteer, and its Adopt-a-Family event is just one of those opportunities.
Geneseo has been providing this service for the community since the program was coordinated through the Office of Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement in 2015. The Director of Student Volunteerism & Community Engagement at Geneseo, Cheyenne DeMarco, stated, “This event welcomes various organizations and groups, including university departments (faculty and staff), student clubs, fraternities, sororities, and sports clubs. Participation is open to any group that can designate a representative to register and coordinate their involvement.”
The Angel Tree program is a popular Adopt-a-Family program that people participate in all over America. The Adopt-a-Family program being offered in Geneseo is very similar to this popular program. The main difference is that this program focuses strictly on families within the local community. The program is designed to provide children and families who are struggling with a magical holiday experience via donated gifts.
Once a student organization signs up for the program, they are matched with a family referred by the Livingston County Department of Health. The group will receive a “wishlist” and a family profile. The wishlist will contain desired items picked by the family, often various articles of clothing or children’s toys, but every wishlist is unique to the family. The process from there is very simple: purchase the necessary items, wrap them in whatever way desired, label them for the designated family member, and deliver them to one of the designated delivery locations. It is important to note that the gifts must be unopened items.
There is still ample time left to sign up for the program, as gifts are not due until December 6. The program is designed to assist the local community and help out families within Livingston County, so both delivery locations are near Mount Morris. After signing up and receiving their designated family, groups will be assigned one of the two drop-off locations.
This program is a great opportunity for student organizations in Geneseo to give back to the community directly. Unfortunately, due to the development of scam corporations, not all donation sites fulfill the donations they promise. New companies are created yearly to promote giving back to the community and collect money that has never been used to help those in need. That is why giving time to and continuing to elevate programs like this that are known to be reputable is more important than ever.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen is another great option during the holiday season and all year round. Geneseo lists many different local soup kitchens that are often looking for new volunteers under Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement.
Cheyenne DeMarco is available via email at cdemarco@geneseo.edu to help answer any questions students may have about the event or if any help is needed. Sign-ups for the program can be completed through the Google doc listed on the Geneseo events calendar.