MCCC students have an opportunity to help give Christmas gifts to a family in need.
“Give a Kid a Christmas” is a nonprofit program that allows local families who are financially underprivileged to get gifts for the holidays from funds raised by the community.
This year is the first time MCCC’s Student Government is sponsoring a family for Christmas.
Student Government members Carley Kish and Michaela Zangara were the ones who suggested partnering with the “Give a Kid a Christmas” program.
Tom Ryder, Student Government adviser, along with Kish and Zangara, chose a specific family with members who attend MCCC.
Kish said the original plan was to raise money through the organization “Give a Kid a Chance.” However, after Ryder was informed about a specific family’s situation, Student Government decided to support them.
The family consists of a mother, father and five children. Because of the family’s size, Ryder said Student Government will need the community’s help in giving.
Ryder sent an email to all students where he lists the following ways students can help:
- Donating to purchase food and gifts for the family. These donations can be dropped off at Ryder’s office on campus.
- Buying Zoom University T-shirts or Student Government face masks, with portions of each sale going to the family.
- Purchasing on Amazon specific gifts off a Wishlist. When purchasing an item, assign the delivery destination to Kish and Zangara who are collecting the gifts.
“The earlier you make a purchase, the better chance we have of it arriving before Christmas,” Ryder said in the email.
Student Government will first wait to see what items are purchased online before buying items themselves.
“It was fun and I loved doing it,” Kish said about making the Wishlist.
Kish and Zangara plan on personally shopping for any remaining items that aren’t purchased online.
“The community and the school have helped fundraise and donate money and have bought gifts,” Kish said.
Kish said she worked with a similar program through her church, where the congregation contributed and purchased a gift for a family.
“I personally wanted to help this family because I’ve been the family before,” Kish said. “My mom had just lost our father, and she didn’t have a job.”
As a result, her family was gifted a Christmas that year and is grateful for the people who helped make it happen.
“I am excited to do this because people did it for me in the past,” Kish said. “I will most definitely do this again.”
Zangara said Ryder had reached out to let Student Government know that a local family had contacted him, so they decided it would be a good idea to help the family.
Kish and Zangara have not met the family in person but said they have talked to the mother and said she was sweet and kind.
Zangara said she helped with a GAKAC fundraiser in high school and loved it.
“I love every part of this event. It is such an amazing opportunity to spread joy and cheer and show a family how much we care about them,” she said. “It warms my heart knowing that we helped bring smiles to some faces this Christmas.”
Zangara said Student Government is thankful for all the donations and everyone who has helped.
The last day for donations will be Friday, Dec. 18.
“We don’t always realize how blessed we are or how much we truly have to be thankful for and it is so amazing to have the opportunity to help others, especially local families,” Zangara said. “I believe GAKAC would be a great added tradition to MCCC because it spreads cheer throughout the whole community, because it’s always better to give than receive.”
