Students and staff across the Dutchess BOCES campus are pulling together to help those in the community and region this holiday season through a variety of activities.
At the Career and Technical Institute, the National Technical Honor Society is hosting a Giving Tree to collect clothing for residents of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home. SkillsUSA is also creating holiday cards for military service members during a gathering Dec. 20.
Victoria Kirsch, NTHS president, said they discussed doing something to give back and had seen Giving Trees before but they had only hats and gloves.
“We wanted to incorporate hats, gloves, scarves, slippers and jackets,” she said.
Though they only started collecting items Dec. 4, one artificial tree donated by teacher Heidi Thunder was full by Dec. 9 and another, built by the construction trades class, is already accumulating gifts on its limbs.
“This is a great way to bring some happiness to them. They’ll have warmth and new clothes,” Kirsch said.
Members of the public who wish to donate new gloves, scarves hats and slippers or gently used jackets may bring items to the CTI main entrance during school hours and specify the project for which they are to be used.
Salt Point Center
At Salt Point Center, four families will celebrate the holiday with food, gifts and groceries.
Staff at SPC are shopping for three of the families and the administration staff are shopping for a fourth family. Once the items have been gathered, Principal Melissa Murphy plans to have a wrapping party, complete with pizza for the volunteers to wrap the items.
Two of the families will receive grocery gift cards.
“It is really special to be part of such a kind and generous team,” Murphy said. “I think all the support for our students and families goes beyond the school day and this is just one example.”