Elizabethtown College carried on the holiday tradition of giving back to the local community and sponsored more than 135 gifts this year through the annual Angel Tree initiative. Angel Tree is a gift-giving event sponsored by the College’s Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) and Student Assembly.
“Initiatives like the Angel Tree are important, especially during the holidays, to give back to our community,” Elizabethtown College Director of the CCCE Javita Thompson said. “This is a time of giving and what better way to give back, than ensuring children have gifts during this special time of year.”
A total of 41 children, along with community members who currently receive housing through Elizabethtown Community Housing and Outreach Services (ECHOS), were given gifts through this year’s Angel Tree project.
Etown partnered with ECHOS, along with Clare House, Milagro House, and IU13 Central Education Center to identify individuals in need. Students tabled in the Baugher Student Center (BSC) during November to collect gift donations.
Campus community members participated by selecting a wish list tag to make holiday wishes come true for a child in need or an adult experiencing homelessness. Donations were distributed from Dec. 4 through 8.
“I chose to get involved with Angel Tree because of its amazing mission to help children and seniors experience the joy of the holidays,” Etown Finance major and member of Student Assembly Cody Meckes ’26 said. “It allows us to give back to the community during the season of giving.”
Contributions poured in from across campus, including several fun, STEM-focused toys, books, and games that were donated to the Angel Tree initiative as part of the Etown School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) 2023 Holiday Gift Guide, which featured gift suggestions by ECS faculty.
