Student Assembly members helped gift-wrap Angel Tree presents on Dec. 3 in the BSC

Elizabethtown College continued its annual tradition of giving back to the community during the holiday season through the campus-wide Angel Tree initiative. This year’s project brought together over 250 campus community participants to donate more than 1,250 gifts to organizations throughout the region. 

Angel Tree is a gift-giving event sponsored by the College’s Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) and Student Assembly that provides holiday gifts to community members in need. 

“I’ve loved seeing how engaged and excited our campus community has been with Angel Tree, supporting 13 community partners across three counties,” Elizabethtown College CCCE Program Manager, Brianna Titi said. “It’s a powerful reminder that service isn’t just something we talk about at Etown – it’s something we actively live out.” 

Donations are being distributed to community partners Dec. 8 through 12.  

The CCCE partnered with 13 organizations in Elizabethtown, Harrisburg, and Lancaster regions including Salvation Army of Lancaster, Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg, The Joshua Group, Clare House, ECHOES, Elizabethtown Senior Center, Accent Care Hospice, Lancaster County Chooses Love, Water Street Mission, Catholic Charities Immigration & Refugee Services of Harrisburg, and Lancaster-Lebanon Habitat for Humanity (LLHH) to deliver gifts to children, families, and elderly individuals.  

Angel Tree provides an opportunity to deepen connections with community partners, such as LLHH. Students enjoyed a full-circle moment by donating a gift basket to the owners of a recently completed LLHH home in Lebanon, which students helped build on a Fall Break Service Trip in October. 

“Angel Tree connects our campus to the surrounding community to spread holiday cheer,”  CCCE Student Assistant and dual Public Health and Political Science Major, Elsa Woodarek ’26 said. “This year, we partnered with more organizations than ever before, spreading joy and hope across Elizabethtown, Harrisburg, and Lancaster. It’s beautiful to see our campus community come together to make the holidays brighter for those around us.”