Every year during the holiday season, TCU Staff Assembly conducts a toy drive or coat drive to support the Fort Worth community. Due to the pandemic, Staff Assembly will not host a campus-wide drive, but is still encouraging faculty and staff to give back.
“Because of COVID-19, Staff Assembly is conducting our drives on a more personal level this year,” said Angie Taylor, chair of Staff Assembly. “We hope to empower TCU employees with multiple ways to serve and give back this holiday season with the list we’ve put together, including Meals on Wheels, SPCA, the Salvation Army and more.”
Maleta Hill, chair for the Community Service Committee, helped committee members compile a list of opportunities that allows TCU community members to help the larger Fort Worth community without putting themselves at risk.
“The Community Service Committee takes great pride in the program because it’s so important to give back to the Fort Worth community - especially this year,” Taylor continued. “The committee thought it was safest to conduct personal drives this year, and we hope all our fellow faculty and staff can choose a way to participate.”
5 ways to give back (safely) during the holidays:
- Give gifts.
Support a toy drive, like The Salvation Army Angel Tree program, which helps millions of parents and children in need, celebrate Christmas. You can make an individual monetary donation or adopt an angel. Watch the video on their website to learn more about how it works.
- Support youths in need.
Donate to YOUTH with FACES, whose mission is to help give youth in the juvenile justice system the skills needed to break the cycle of incarceration and create positive futures. Support their culinary and horticulture training for youth in the juvenile justice system by helping them build a greenhouse.
- Remember furry friends.
Give the furry friends at the SPCA of Texas a second chance for cheer during the holidays. The SPCA provides a number of ways to give support to animals during the holidays and offers a “Home for the Holidays” adoption discount for the month of December.
- Provide a meal.
Help support Meals on Wheels for Tarrant County, which provides approximately one million meals each year to some of Tarrant County’s frailest citizens. Visit their website to learn more about donating to the Silver Santa Giving Tree.
- Create warmth.
Donate or create a homemade blanket to give to Project Linus, a nonprofit celebrating 25 years of providing comfort and security to over 8 million children. For inspiration on creating a homemade blanket to donate, visit their patterns page for links to helpful videos.