In November and December, the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association conducted its most successful children’s holiday gift drive to date by gathering gifts for a record 159 children who are clients of Beaver County Children and Youth Services (CYS). Last year, the group collected gifts for 129 children.
This is the 19th consecutive year that the alumni chapter and CYS have partnered to solicit gifts from the community for children who might receive few or no gifts during the holidays.
Project donors had two options: purchase and wrap a gift themselves to deliver to the CYS Committee or make a cash donation that enabled committee members to buy gifts. This year’s cash donations totaled $975. Each donor was asked to purchase a gift or gifts valued at $25 to $30.
Members of the CYS staff came to campus last week to pick up hundreds of gifts to be delivered to the children.
“We were able to serve this record number of children thanks to the generosity of the community, our chapter members and friends, alumni, our CYS Gift Drive Committee, and Penn State Beaver campus students, staff and faculty,” said Roseann Simoni, a Penn State alumna and chairwoman of the Gift Drive Committee. “Even in difficult economic times, the kindness of people in the community enabled us to conduct our largest gift drive ever. That’s remarkable, and we want to express our gratitude to all those who helped to brighten a child’s holiday this year.”
Other CYS Gift Drive Committee members were Cindy Hovanec, Diane Canning and Jessica Doris.
For information about how to participate in next year’s CYS Gift Drive, contact the Beaver campus Office of Campus and Community Relations at amk6@psu.edu or 724-773-3815.