Conestoga’s Christmas Wish Tree program, a college tradition started by Conestoga Student’s Inc. (CSI) nearly 20 years ago, will help more than 100 student families in need this holiday season.
Conestoga Students Inc. will support more than 100 student families in need this year through the annual Christmas Wish Tree program. Visit a CSI office to learn more about sponsoring a family.
“We’re seeing an especially greater need for assistance this year,” explained CSI representative Maggie Litwiller. “Compared to last year we have about 25 more families who signed up to receive help.”
Through the program students struggling with families at home are invited to register at CSI, the college's student association, and provide details that include the number of children in the family, their ages, gender, interests and gift ideas.
The Conestoga community is then invited to sponsor one of the families to provide Christmas gifts for the children. The families in need remain anonymous.
Christmas Wish Tree is available for students at all campuses, but Litwiller said the need is greatest at Doon where the majority of Wish Tree families have children between the ages of five and eight.
In the last five years, the number of students supported through the program has continued to expand as the student community grows.
“We invite sponsors to sign up at the CSI office until December 5 and all gifts need to be delivered to us by Friday, December 8 so we can distribute them in time,” said Litwiller. “We have 60 generous sponsors so far, but we still need some help.”
Litwiller said Conestoga employees have supported the program and groups of students are also teaming up to sponsor a family.
For more information about Christmas Wish Tree, contact CSI.