SHU’s ‘Christmas in October’ Drive Raises $9,000 for Bridgeport Families
Donations take the form of gift cards this year, due to CDC guidelines
Sacred Heart University’s volunteer programs & service learning (VPSL) office raised more than $9,000 for its annual holiday donation drive, thanks to the generosity of students and faculty.
Previously known as Adopt-a-Family, the drive this year was dubbed Christmas in October and started earlier than usual so students could participate before they left campus for the semester prior to Thanksgiving. Participants selected Bridgeport families with up to 12 members to whom they wanted to donate gifts for the holiday season.
The project’s name and timing weren’t the only changes. “Because of the new protocols for touching and wrapping gifts, we thought gift cards would be better this year,” said Arlete Perez Paez, VPSL office and program manager. “We used Amazon and e-market options for the donations.”
In all, more than $9,000 in gift cards and cash were donated to families from St. Charles Barromeo Parish and Golden Hill United Methodist Church, both in Bridgeport.
“We couldn’t have been so successful without the help of the SHU community. We are very thankful for contributions from the athletic teams, RAD club, Welch College of Business & Technology, physical therapy club, the library, band, biology department, marketing department and math department, to mention some,” said Perez Paez.
The RAD Club alone raised $1,600. Also known as the Skeleton Squad, this group of students is enrolled in the radiography program at St. Vincent’s College, where they build connections with imaging professionals, participate in a mentorship program, develop team-building skills and aid the community. 19 members of the group, all of whom are commuters with jobs and families, contributed financially to the campaign while others helped get the word out and organize. All helped in their own way.
The club has bi-weekly, virtual meetings over Zoom. Jacqueline Peccerillo, instructor of radiography and the clinical coordinator for the radiography program, serves as the club’s advisor, overseeing activities, providing leadership and mentorship, assuring business takes place according to the club’s bylaws and working with fellow imaging professionals to bring in guest speakers and lecturers.
“The Skeleton Squad went above and beyond to collect money for those families in our surrounding community who are in need, while following the CDC’s recommendation for social distancing,” said Peccerillo.
Photo caption: The St. Vincent's College Skeleton Crew are, from left to right, Derek Schlaich (president), Ashley Lyons (vice president), Ginger Roberts (treasurer), Jamie Baldizon (secretary), Kiana Arnold, Amanda Bogardus, Rebecca Denny, Lauren Eaker, Hanna Errico, Ashley Jacobucci, Shaina Jennings, Sky Kamara, Laura Melodia, Donna Messina, Brooke Oakley, Melanie Racine, Emma Rodriguez, Angela Rolli, John Rullan, Marissa Toth and Professor Jacqueline Peccerillo. Not pictured are Emily Caiola, Tamineh Jahanshahi, Darek Msaad, Julia Spacevento, Taylor Tarzia and Mara Wozniak.