Julie Janecek '23 and Jo Anna Valdez '23 with their gifts. Source: Amanda Dibre '23

Since 1993, the Marist College community has participated in the Giving Tree, a sponsorship of local families in need of holiday gifts. This year, Marist is sponsoring 31 families and six different agencies, as students are eager to get in the holiday spirit with this tradition.

“I love Christmas and love sharing the magic of this holiday season with everyone, especially with those who may be less fortunate than us here at Marist. As much as getting gifts can be fun, I love giving gifts even more,” Madison Breemen ‘23 said.

For many, this charitable act is a long running tradition in their family and students are grateful for the ability to continue it on their own during their college experience.

Julie Janecek ‘23 and Jo Anna Valdez ‘23 worked with Campus Ministry to create posters promoting the Giving Tree event, while Breemen aided in writing out the ornaments that go on the tree and the tree set ups.

Ornaments on the trees are placed into three categories. White ornaments signify household items, red lists needed items such as clothing and green signifies wish list items.

Janecek and Valdez worked collaboratively on a gift for a 12 year-old girl, purchasing her both a “need” and “wish” item. “We got a sweatshirt and this was something that was so simple. We just quickly went to the store and got it, but for this child it’s going to keep her warm for all of winter,” Janecek said.

Valdez highlighted the importance of this charity event as it hits close to home for her. “Personally, I come from a town that is less fortunate. When I went to school there I saw kids first-hand not getting stuff for Christmas so I know that this makes a difference,” she said. “It's good for Marist students to do because we’re so fortunate to be here and those kids don’t really get gifts on Christmas, so it’s showing our generation what we can do to make an impact.”

Christmas is universally known as the season of giving, and with COVID-19 impacting so many families, this giveback can make a great difference to someone.

“Marist is such a major part of the Poughkeepsie community in general. And so, I think to leverage the power of almost 6,000 students to be able to work on this initiative together as a college community and to be able to use all of those people to give back to the Poughkeepsie community that we’re also a part of is so important,” Breemen said.

In 2020, $7,895 in gift cards were collected. There is an option for more generalized money-based items, like gift cards, that are equally as important as physical gifts. “To have a family put money towards their weekly grocery bill or electronic needs is just as important,” Breemen said.

Giving Trees are located in Donnelly, Lowell Thomas, Dyson, Fontaine, Hancock, the Champagnat Breezeway and Allied Health, and everyone is welcome to participate.

Gifts must be wrapped with the ornament tag on top and delivered to the Chapel by December 12. Mass will be held at 6:30pm followed by the Giving Tree Ceremony at 7:25pm, where the gifts will be blessed before being sorted to their respective families.

The Giving Tree

MARIST CIRCLE