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Printer-Friendly ModeOn the SVSU Wish List: To support over 35 families
December 3, 2007 —
As the holidays draw nearer, there is still plenty of time for members of the SVSU community to help those less fortunate by adopting families through the United Way.
SVSU's annual Holiday Wish List program allows students and faculty to select families to support during the holiday season by purchasing food and gifts with the aid of wish lists to help guide their shopping efforts. The Student Life Center posted the information of families in need on the University's Web site to give individuals and groups the opportunity to select a family they would be able to provide for.
"We initially posted a list of 25 families, and after only a few days, they had all been adopted," Assistant Director of Student Life Carly Waligora said. "We then posted an additional ten families, all of which were adopted soon after."
While the online lists disappeared quickly, Waligora assures that anyone wishing to adopt a family can still do so by submitting a request to the SLC.
"If people keep coming and they want families, we can always get more," Waligora said.
According to Administrative Secretary of Student Life Trish Gohm,she said individuals can participate, but must adopt the whole family. Students have been getting together with friends and dividing up the list to make this easier.
Many registered student organizations and offices on campus are participating as well. Members of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, students on the Southeast Community Council First Year Board, residents of Living Center North, and the mentors and coordinators of the Writing Center are among the groups involved.
VSpace technology has aided APO in coordinating their collection methods.
"I sent out an email to all of our brothers and our pledges for the fall semester and told everyone to write on the discussion board on VSpace the items that they will be donating to the family based on the wish list that the family provided," APO brother Angela Seeley said. "This is so people don't duplicate items as much."
Writing Center Coordinator Helen Raica-Klotz enjoys picking out a family each year for the Center to sponsor. "We like to have kids because they are fun to shop for. If anyone deserves a good Christmas, it's kids," she said. Writing Center mentor Megan Major also enjoys shopping for children. "My sister is into Bratz dolls and things like that, so I plan to take her shopping and help me pick things out that other kids her age would probably like," she said.
There are a variety of families for anyone to help.
"Some families have two parents and five or six kids, others are grandparents and their grandchildren, and some are single moms raising children," Gohm said. "We get a very wide range that different sized groups are able to accommodate."
The first-ever Holiday Wish List Wrapping Party is scheduled for Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room.
"Anyone is welcome to come and help wrap gifts. There will be wrapping paper available, Christmas music playing, and it should be a good time," Waligora said.
All gifts and food items are due to the SLC by Monday, Dec. 10 at noon for delivery. Further information is available online at the University's webpage.