2008 Woodie Awards
Toy drive benefits Family Service
Professor hopes effort will encourage students to take an active community role.
By Trey Randolph
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Premiere
Originally published: 11/20/08 at 5:55 PM CSTLast update: 11/21/08 at 9:42 AM CST
Students in a student development class are assisting in a toy drive for underprivileged families.
Counselor Christina Hansen put the toy drive together for her students in SDEV 0370.014, Personal and Academic Success.
Students were required to put in at least 10 hours of service, including dropping boxes on and off campus as well as working at the Family Service Association processing applications for inclusion in the program.
Hansen said her students also were encouraged to set up boxes off campus at locations they frequent, such as their church or former high school.
Donations are asked to be new and unwrapped toys for children of all ages.
The Family Service Association is a nonprofit organization with a goal of providing financial assistance and counseling to children, elderly and families to deal effectively with their problems and challenges, according to its Web site.
The association runs a program during November and December called Adopt-A-Family, providing food, clothing and household goods to qualifying families through donations by "adopters" assigned a family.
FSA has been running the Adopt-A-Family program for 17 years and counts local corporations such as Valero, Rackspace and AT&T, as well as numerous churches, community organizations and individual families, among their adopting partners.
Kristy Walston, volunteer manager, said toy drives such as this are a great way to help provide for the families who do not have adopters.
"This toy drive is a fantastic way for students to get involved and give back to their community," Walston added.
Walston said they expect 750 families to receive toys through FSA and this college's toy drive, down from about 900 last year.
Walston said that while the association offers programs and services year-round, comparing the programs' importance is difficult.
"It is impossible to compare such different services," she said, "but anyone who has watched a child open a gift on Christmas morning knows how important this program can be."
Audrey Grams, service learning coordinator, said she had been planning to do her own toy drive until reminded by Hansen of this program.
Grams pointed out that since the Family Service Association is south of this college at 702 San Pedro Ave., and the families receiving toys could potentially live close to campus, the toy drive helps students feel like they are helping their community directly.
Grams also found a room on campus in which the toys could be stored between collection and being delivered to the Family Service Association.
This college's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, is providing further assistance.
"Phi Theta Kappa is trying to partner with various other clubs and activities because we would really like to help with community outreach," Susan Spencer, Phi Theta Kappa adviser, said by phone Monday.
Last year, Phi Theta Kappa participated in the mortuary science department's stuff a stocking project, and Spencer said she had been looking for a similar project this year.
Spencer added Phi Theta Kappa will help as much as possible.
"It's our desire to be supportive of other organizations because a lot of other organizations have supported us," she said.
"It's good for all of us to support each other."
Donations were accepted beginning Monday and will be accepted through Dec. 5 at 10 locations on campus.
Hansen said she doesn't expect a great response until after Thanksgiving but added her students are very excited.
"It's a really great way for students to feel like they can make a difference in their community," Hansen said.
A list of drop-off locations can be found at the service learning department's events list at www.accd.edu/sac/service/htm/events5.htm.
For information, call Christina Hansen at 785-6316
Counselor Christina Hansen put the toy drive together for her students in SDEV 0370.014, Personal and Academic Success.
Students were required to put in at least 10 hours of service, including dropping boxes on and off campus as well as working at the Family Service Association processing applications for inclusion in the program.
Hansen said her students also were encouraged to set up boxes off campus at locations they frequent, such as their church or former high school.
Donations are asked to be new and unwrapped toys for children of all ages.
The Family Service Association is a nonprofit organization with a goal of providing financial assistance and counseling to children, elderly and families to deal effectively with their problems and challenges, according to its Web site.
The association runs a program during November and December called Adopt-A-Family, providing food, clothing and household goods to qualifying families through donations by "adopters" assigned a family.
FSA has been running the Adopt-A-Family program for 17 years and counts local corporations such as Valero, Rackspace and AT&T, as well as numerous churches, community organizations and individual families, among their adopting partners.
Kristy Walston, volunteer manager, said toy drives such as this are a great way to help provide for the families who do not have adopters.
"This toy drive is a fantastic way for students to get involved and give back to their community," Walston added.
Walston said they expect 750 families to receive toys through FSA and this college's toy drive, down from about 900 last year.
Walston said that while the association offers programs and services year-round, comparing the programs' importance is difficult.
"It is impossible to compare such different services," she said, "but anyone who has watched a child open a gift on Christmas morning knows how important this program can be."
Audrey Grams, service learning coordinator, said she had been planning to do her own toy drive until reminded by Hansen of this program.
Grams pointed out that since the Family Service Association is south of this college at 702 San Pedro Ave., and the families receiving toys could potentially live close to campus, the toy drive helps students feel like they are helping their community directly.
Grams also found a room on campus in which the toys could be stored between collection and being delivered to the Family Service Association.
This college's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, is providing further assistance.
"Phi Theta Kappa is trying to partner with various other clubs and activities because we would really like to help with community outreach," Susan Spencer, Phi Theta Kappa adviser, said by phone Monday.
Last year, Phi Theta Kappa participated in the mortuary science department's stuff a stocking project, and Spencer said she had been looking for a similar project this year.
Spencer added Phi Theta Kappa will help as much as possible.
"It's our desire to be supportive of other organizations because a lot of other organizations have supported us," she said.
"It's good for all of us to support each other."
Donations were accepted beginning Monday and will be accepted through Dec. 5 at 10 locations on campus.
Hansen said she doesn't expect a great response until after Thanksgiving but added her students are very excited.
"It's a really great way for students to feel like they can make a difference in their community," Hansen said.
A list of drop-off locations can be found at the service learning department's events list at www.accd.edu/sac/service/htm/events5.htm.
For information, call Christina Hansen at 785-6316
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