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Holiday Gift Program provides support to TWU students with kids during the holiday season

Graphic by Kyra Marshall
Graphic by Kyra Marshall

Students who are parents can still have Santa Claus wiggle down their chimney this year with a sack of goodies for their children.

TWU students with children, living on or off campus in Denton, Dallas and Houston, who cannot afford Christmas presents for their children may apply to be a recipient of the holiday gift program by contacting Assistant Director of Commuter and Distance Education Student Services Jessica Burchfield. Applicants have until Nov. 6 to apply for the program and sponsors will be contacted by Nov. 11 with information about the child they will sponsor, including clothing sizes and a Christmas wish list.

Burchfield said: “The meaning and the mission of this university can really be seen through this program. If you ever want to see what it means to be a part of a supportive community and what that looks like, this is the primary example. We want all of our students, including non-traditional students who have children, to be successful and graduate from Texas Woman’s University and the Holiday Gift Program is just one of the ways we do that.”

The Holiday Gift Program allows TWU students, organizations and employees to sponsor children, providing their families with either a monetary donation or personal Christmas presents a child has asked for. All the children who take part in this program belong to students who might struggle to provide their children with presents.

Burchfield said: “The reason that we can sustain this is because we have TWU community members and some external sponsorship, as well as just students who are just willing to give back. We’re a really giving community and we know there is a need here and people are meeting the need. Everyone knows about this program, everyone loves giving back to this program.”

The Holiday Gift Program has been a part of TWU’s history for 25 years and since 2005, has served over 2,400 children.

Burchfield said: “Some of my favorite times are when someone who was a recipient of this program gets back on their feet and they will give back to the program. It’s a really neat program, it’s one of my favorites of the entire year.”

Contact Jessica Burchfield at JBurchfield@twu.edu for applications and information on how to sponsor a child this Christmas.

 

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