Round About Philanthropy is focus during the holidays
Many organizations, companies and individuals volunteer to help make Christmas a more joyous time for the less fortunate of Douglas County.
One way employees at Michael Treanor Architects, 110 McDonald Dr., help the needy is by participating in the "Adopt a Family" program. Instead of buying gifts such as chocolates for their clients, they adopt families in their clients' names. Along with a Christmas card sent to their clients, they include a brief description of the adopted families and the gifts that were bought for them
were bought for them.
This year and last, the company adopted two families.
Treanor Architects gets the names of families to adopt from Penn House,1035 Pennsylvania St., a social service agency for low-income families and individuals. Penn House is one of many local agencies that organize "Adopt a Family" programs.
Tom Leininger / KANSAN
"You don't have to adopt an entire family," said Linda Lassen, director of Penn House. "You can donate money or gift certificates: Anyone
Lindsey Eisenbarger, Kelly Rathbun, Alinee Kamtaka and Mitzi Lotigh, all eighth-graders at South Junior High School, paid $1 each to wear pajamas to school. The money went to charity.
who wants to volunteer can call in and even request the type of family they prefer to adopt."
Lassen said volunteers were given a list of types and sizes of clothing needed by the family members and ideas for a toy or game for the children. As part of the donation, the volunteer also usually includes a gift certificate for groceries for the family's Christmas dinner, she said.
South Junior High School, 2734 Louisiana St., is another "Adopt a Family" participant. In the past, each home room has adopted a family, resulting in about 30 adopted families.
"The number of adopted families won't be as high this year due to a decrease in enrollment," said Sharon Goolsby, school nurse and organizer of the program.
The school held a pajama day on Nov. 17 to raise funds. For $1, students were allowed to wear their pajamas to school. The money was used to buy gifts for the adopted families.
"I think the whole school feels a sense of caring and commitment," Goolsby said. "The students do the shopping and wrap the gifts. They really feel a part of the process."
The Salvation Army, 946 New Hampshire St., is another agency that supports charitable programs. One of these is the Toys for Tots telethon, which is sponsored in conjunction with Sunflower Cablevision and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Jan McNish, campaign director for Sunflower Cablevision, said that donations had increased 100 percent each year, and last year 3,000 toys and $20,000 were donated.
Douglas County.
One of the companies that participates in the telethon is Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St. Wal-Mart does not limit itself to helping only one charity, though.
From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.on Sunday, Sunflower Cablevision will televise its sixth Toys for Tots telethon, a live benefit to collect toys and money for needy children in
One of the most visible charitable activities that Wal-Mart sponsors is an angel tree, which the store places at its front
entrance. An angel tree is decorated with paper angel cut-outs, and on each angel is a child's first name, sex, age, and clothing and shoe sizes. People select an angel from the tree, purchase a gift, wrap it and deliver the package to Wal-Mart personnel.
Last year, Wal-Mart collected gifts for about 75 children, and this year it plans to put 100 names on the tree, said Bonnie Tennyson, a Wal-Mart employee. Hillcrest Elementary School, 1045 Hilltop Dr., draws and cuts out the angels for the tree.
"I've organized the angel trees for each of the eight years we've participated in the program," Tennyson said. "Helping out like this gives me a real warm feeling, especially when I see how many others are willing to help out."
Later this month, both houses plan to give a party for the children and their parents. Phi Delta Theta members dress as Santa Claus and his elves.
The majority of greek houses on campus will support charitable causes this holiday season, as well. For the past several years, Phi Delta Theta fraternity, 1621 Edgehill Rd., and Delta Delta Delta sorority, 1630 Oxford Rd., have participated in "Sleigh Bells," a program organized by the Salvation Army. Members from each house pair up and pick a child's name and buy a gift from his or her wish list.
Matt Taylor, Hesston sophomore, and Holly Hoy, Kansas City, Mo., senior, are organizing this year's program.
"It's so great to actually see the excitement and smiles on the kids' faces," Taylor said.
—BY SHELLY SHEPARD
-Hill • December 6, 1995
Hawk Holidays
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