Ryan Chartrand‘Tis the season to be jolly. Cal Poly’s Student Community Services (SCS) is diving into the spirit of giving for the upcoming holidays by hosting its 10th annual Holiday Gift Drive for underprivileged children and teenagers in San Luis Obispo County.
Students, faculty, staff and community members can participate by visiting the SCS office at University Union room 217 to pick up a gift tag, which includes the age of a child and his or her gift wish, and bring the gift back to the SCS office by Nov. 28.
“Agencies that we work with tell us that the gifts from Cal Poly are the only gifts their clients receive,” said Leah Meeks, bioresource and agricultural engineering senior and SCS member.
“When we call agencies to ask if they need help, they leap at the opportunity and are extremely thankful for the support from the Cal Poly community,” Meeks said. “It is also important that people get involved with their community and help those in a bind and needing a little help.”
SCS’ holiday gift drive has significantly grown from providing only 100 gifts to supplying more than 400 in the past five years, Meeks said. This year, SCS is providing 450 gifts for the San Luis Obispo community. They take gift requests for unborn children up to 17-year-olds.
Gifts range from $15 to $20, which can include items such as a basketball, baby clothing, gift cards, a CD player, toy trucks, shoes and stuffed animals. Participants can also donate money for SCS to do the shopping.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters would not be able to afford to supply each of the children in our program who attend our holiday party with a gift,” said Anna Boyd-Bucy, associate executive director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County.
“SCS generously supplies these gifts for us,” Boyd-Bucy said. “The vast majority of our clients come from low-income, single-parent homes. The gifts they receive at our holiday party are sometimes the only and/or best gifts they get for the holidays.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has participated in the holiday gift drive at least since 1998, Boyd-Bucy said.
“(SCS) supplied $20 gifts for each of the 80 children at our holiday party last year,” Boyd-Bucy said. “They were kind enough to take gift requests, wrap the gifts and distribute them as Santa’s elves last year.”
Other local participating agencies include the Department of Social Services, Economic Opportunity Commission – Teen Academic Parenting Program, Family Care Network, Housing Authority, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, South County S.A.F.E. Family Resources Center, and Transitions Mental Health Agency Foster Care Program.
SCS will distribute received gifts at the Big Brothers Big Sisters holiday party; they will play games and pass out the gifts, Meeks said. All of the other agencies will pick up the gifts from SCS during finals week, and distribute them to the underprivileged children and make their Christmas wishes come true.