Student organizers of “Give Thanks Give Back” — Washington University’s annual holiday gift drive in support of the 100 Neediest Cases — set a goal of adopting 125 families. Now, halfway to their goal, they are asking more members of the WUSTL community to adopt a family in need. The drive runs through Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Give Thanks, Give Back (GTGB) brings the city-wide 100 Neediest Cases effort — a joint project of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the United Way — onto campus by encouraging participation and overseeing student, faculty and staff groups who sponsor the families.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the United Way work with social service agencies to identify more than 10,000 cases of area residents struggling to overcome poverty. As the holiday season approaches, the newspaper publishes 100 of these personal case stories.
Although each of the 10,000 cases will receive some monetary assistance, only a small percentage of families are “adopted,” meaning that an individual, group or business sponsor agrees to buy gifts for a particular family.
Adopting a family can be done in five easy steps:
- Consider banding together with co-workers, family or friends to adopt a family — or adopt as an individual.
- Determine a level of support. GTGB recommends spending $25 on each person (for example, a two-person family could be adopted for $50).
- Visit GTGB.wustl.edu, fill out the adoption information and receive a family profile.
- Buy the gifts!
- Drop off the unwrapped gifts by Nov. 16 in the Community Service Office, Room 250, of the Danforth University Center.
The gift drive culminates every year with two wrapping parties during which volunteers wrap the donated gifts.
This year, the parties are set for two consecutive Saturdays: 12-5 p.m. Nov. 12 and 19 in Tisch Commons on the first floor of Danforth University Center. These parties are open to the public, and everyone is welcome to help wrap presents.
For more information, go to GTGB.wustl.edu or contact GTGB co-chairs Lindsey Zhang at LMZhang@gmail.com or Angie Chen at amchen@wustl.edu.