‘The Giving Tree’ project gives back

PLU Rieke scholars provide the opportunity to sponsor a local child for the holidays

Angela Pierce MAST NEWS INTERN pierceaf@plu.edu

As the holidays approach shopping and parties often distract us. As a result, we tend to forget those in need around our community. This holiday season, a team of Pacific Lutheran Rieke Scholars is providing a chance for PLU students and faculty to become involved.

“The Giving Tree” is a project designed for individuals to sponsor a child in the Tacoma, Wash. community and buy him or her a gift for the holidays. The gifts are given to a local program through the Tacoma Rescue Mission called “Need-A-Break.”

The program is designed for families who can’t afford to give their children gifts for the holidays. Sandy Miller, an active volunteer at the Tacoma Rescue Mission, explains that “Need-A-Break” is meant to fill in the gap that the Tacoma Rescue Mission can’t. She says that around the holidays the mission is at its busiest and they could use all the help they can get.

The families go through an application process that allows the program to see if the families are eligible for donations. Miller explains that most of these families consist of single mothers who can’t afford to purchase gifts for their children.

The program is expecting a huge outcome of families to come in this year, especially with the way the economy has been.

“The Giving Tree” has been tabling the last couple of weeks in the University Center and is allowing students and faculty to sign-up to donate a gift. The gifts will be collected Dec. 1 - 6 in the Diversity Center and will be distributed to the Tacoma Rescue Mission the following week.

If you would like to find out more information on how to donate a gift, please contact Katelyn Umetsu at umetsukk@plu.edu.

If you wish to get involved in other ways, please contact the Tacoma Rescue Mission headquarters or visit its website at www.trm.org. Volunteer opportunities include helping kids in the transition centers, serving food and other types of programs.

“It’s great to see the community come together,” Miller said. “I love doing this. I absolutely love every part of it. If I didn’t have to work, I’d just do this.”