What do you want for Christmas? Some children find themselves tucked away in cozy sheets with visions of dancing sugar plum fairies, candy canes and toys swirling in their minds, while others face the holidays locked behind a door of loneliness without a key to escape.
For an abused and neglected child, the gift of a shiny new toy gives fulfills a Christmas wish.
The Craycroft Youth Center [CYC] acts as a safe, stable and nurturing temporary placement for children who have been removed from their primary guardians by Children’s Protective Services.
The campus California Scholarship Federation [CSF] plays an active role in bringing joy to the lives young children during the Christmas season. This honors group sponsored a visit to the Craycroft Center where they played with the kids and delivered gifts on Dec. 6.
“It is very beneficial for our high school students to personally give gifts to the children at the Craycroft Center,” Ellen King, CSF advisor, said. “This activity involves a hands on experience with children of all ages who would not normally be able to celebrate the holidays.”
Specifically, the Craycroft Center provides care to sibling groups in an attempt to prevent them from being separated and having to suffer the trauma of being parted from brothers and sisters as well as their caregivers.
“I really enjoyed giving gifts to the children who don’t receive many things at Christmas,” Elisha Qunitana,’08, said. “I think we made an impact on the children who were there.”
The campus student leadership group provides another opportunity for students to spread holiday cheer through the Angel Tree Project.
Angel Tree gives the opportunity to share Christ’s love by helping meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the families of prisoners.
“The Angel Tree project gives students around campus an opportunity to share God’s love,” Sam Krikorian, ’08, said. “It is a great outreach program to spread the Christmas spirit as well as the gospel.”
Angel Tree works by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. In most cases, local church volunteers purchase and deliver the gifts and the gospel to children in the name of their prisoner parent.
Around the valley, the United States Marine Corps host a program to assist in the giving of gifts to needy children throughout the community.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
“Toys for Tots is a cool way to give a gift,” Tim Westra,’05, said. “You can make a child’s Christmas better without them knowing and it’s effortless.”
