Campus Life offers giving program

Cary Crocker
Reporter

The Giving Tree, hosted by Campus Life, celebrates its 12^th anniversary this year. Every year, students who cannot afford to give their children gifts for Christmas are able to give them something because of other students, faculty, or staff members’ giving.

Every year, students who cannot afford to give their children gifts for Christmas are able to give them something because of other students, faculty, or staff members’ giving.

“It’s great because there are a lot of students who cannot afford to pay their bills because of the economy,” said Mark Aubuchon, Campus Life Coordinator. He also said that the Giving Tree gives other students, faculty, and staff a chance to give back.

In order to sign up for it, the applicant must be a full-time student in need, must be Pell eligible and have his or her children on his or her tax return. The children must be 15 years or younger, according to Aubuchon.

The applications are available outside the Campus Life office in the Student Center, but they have also already been sent out to previous applicants in emails. The deadline date is Nov. 14, according to Aubuchon. About 50 families will be accepted, and each child will be written onto paper angels for adoption.

The angels will be put on the tree in Farber before Thanksgiving, according to Aubuchon, who has been in charge of this event for six years. Then students, faculty and staff can pick one or more from the tree and buy a gift for the child or children. Each angel contains the child’s name and age, as well as things they want for Christmas or their clothing sizes; from that list, the person who adopted the angel will buy a gift somewhere between $30-$50 per angel and return the gift with the angel.

“I think it’s great,” said Teniesha Balentine, pre-vet major. “I love how people give back.”

Every year after all the angels are returned, there is a wrapping party given for all the families whose children had names on the tree. Then they receive their gifts, along with food baskets for Christmas dinner, which will be distributed on Dec. 8; according to Aubuchon, the Student Government Association (SGA) usually provides the turkeys. Last year, the bookstore provided free T-shirts for all the parents.

Different activities are planned throughout the year to support the Giving Tree. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I premiere on Nov. 20 is the primary one for this year, said Aubuchon.

“I think it’s the best event we do every year,” said Aubuchon.