WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross community is getting into the Christmas spirit of giving with generous donations of time and other resources to many charities and other causes both here in Worcester and across the globe.
Among these efforts:
- For the third year running, the Class of 2010 Class Council participated in Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse, by gathering and shipping gift-filled shoeboxes to needy children across the world. Students, faculty and staff helped to send out 56 shoeboxes filled with stationary, shoes, toys, toiletries, sweets and games, among other items.
- The College Republicans collected supplies (magazines, beef jerky, non-perishables) and monetary donations, then assembled care packages to send to troops stationed in Iraq.
- Alpha Sigma Nu (the Jesuit Honor Society) has set up drop-boxes around campus to collect toys. These toys will be donated to churches in Worcester for distribution to children at Christmas.
- The Purple Key Society (PKS) organizes a giving tree every year to collect Christmas gifts for the children at the Nativity School in Worcester. This year PKS decided to give the boys Legos, and all 60 of the ornaments were taken by Holy Cross Students in just two days.
“Because of overwhelming response to the Nativity School gifts last year, we are also working with the YWCA of Worcester this year…and we were able to get over 40 presents for people of all ages,” said Meaghan Cassidy ’09 an executive board member of the Purple Key Society. - Toys for Tots donations were collected at the annual Holy Cross Dining Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 11.
- Year-round, Dining Services donates surplus food to the Central Mass. Shelter for Homeless Veterans, in Worcester. Students involved with Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), a community service organization on campus, bring the food to the shelters.
- Sponsored by Human Resources, the Candy Cane tree allows participants in early December to select candy canes from a Christmas tree and buy a gift for a patient at St. Mary’s Health Care Center, The Dalton Nursing Home on Cambridge Street, or for a needy child in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester.
- Organized by Human Resources, the Thanksgiving food drive benefits members of the Holy Cross community on medical or family leave. This year, faculty and staff were able to send fruit baskets, food baskets, or floral arrangements to nine families.
- Human Resources also organizes monthly visits to Campion Residence & Renewal Center in Weston, Mass. to visit all of the New England Jesuits, and they end the year with a Christmas Party.
- Throughout the year, ITS has given computers, printers and networking equipment to St. Mary’s School in Worcester, the Beverly School in Kenya, and the Boston Linden Pilot School.
- Money raised at the annual AIDS Compassion & Awareness Charity Banquet in December, sponsored by the Bishop Healy Multicultural Society, will go to AIDS Project Worcester and the Pendulum Project, a non-profit humanitarian organization that helps families and communities care for, support, and protect orphans and vulnerable children in parts of the world that are severely impacted by AIDS. They raised $3,300 and donations are still being made.
"The Bishop Healy Multicultural Society aspires to evoke a heartfelt need in each member of the campus community to take deliberate action to ameliorate the manifestations of HIV/AIDS, globally as well as locally,” explains Ani Nalbandian ’09, co-chair of the society. “Though our goal is to raise as much money as possible in support of APW and The Pendulum Project, we are just as intently focused on awakening campus-wide solidarity, and thankfully, each year we progress more towards the realization of this dream." - Since 1987, the physical plant/building services department has donated used furniture from office and residence hall upgrades, and conducts a winter clothing drive among staff, faculty and students to benefit the following Worcester organizations: PIP Shelter in Worcester; Abby's House, Lutheran Social Services of Worcester, AIDS Project Worcester and Family Health Center of Worcester.
“Without the continuing support from the Holy Cross Community and those in Building Services, we would not be able to help supply the basic essentials to those that are most in need,” said Jack McCann, assistant director of physical plant/building services.
