Help a child have a Gift to Give!
Every year, there are hundreds of children living in homeless shelters or living in very low income households. During the holidays, there are many groups that donate toys to these children, but the children do not have a gift that they can give to their mom and/or dad. That is why the United Way Student Leadership Council and the Women’s Leadership Council decided to hold the Gifts that Give event.
This is the second year for the event – last year there were over 170 children who were able to get Gifts to Give as part of this project. Volunteers from these groups and from Kohl’s helped them walk through our office (which was turned into a winter wonderland!) and browse tables filled with free gifts. The light in their eyes when they found that perfect gift for their mom and/or dad was truly touching. We need your help to make this year’s Gifts that Give event a success again! We are anticipating that there will be between 170 to 200 children that will be referred to the Gifts that Give program through the homeless shelters and by local school guidance counselors. We are trying to collect approximately 400 gifts. The deadline to donate a gift is December 5th.
On December 8th, the children will be able to shop for “free” for a gift or two for their mother and/or father. It is a wonderful opportunity to teach children the joy of giving while sharing the spirit of the holidays with them.
If you are interested in helping with this initiative, you may drop off an unwrapped gift (around the $10-$15 range), for either a mother or father, at the United Way office (145 S. Hanover Street, Carlisle). Cash donations are also being accepted to purchase gifts, wrapping paper and tape. The program is being run by the United Way Student Leadership Council and Women’s Leadership Council and sponsored by Kohl’s.
