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| Ray Zeck delivers a load of gifts for student families adopted during the Holiday House event at Clover Park Technical College Dec. 6. |
The mental
and fiscal challenges of pursuing higher education can be difficult for college
students. Those challenges can be even more difficult for students who are supporting
families in addition to attending class. Today more than 47 groups and
individual staff, faculty, students and friends of Clover Park Technical College
contributed to a very merry holiday season for 75 student families.
In an
annual event entitled Holiday House, the CPTC community adopted student
families and provided them with gifts, food, gift cards and a chance to meet
Santa.
“Lots of
students come through and say their families would not have had a Christmas if
they didn’t have this,” said Debbie Gurner, who works at the Northwest Career
and Technical High School at CPTC and has been involved in the Holiday House
event for more than 25 years.
In addition
to being a planner of the event Gurner was once a recipient of assistance from
the Holiday House.
“My
involvement is personal. Once when I was a single mom the Holiday House gave me
$15 and you would have thought they had given me a hundred,” said Gurner. “Each
of my kids and I got $5 toward Christmas and it was great.”
Gurner is
one of many CPTC employees who volunteer their time each year to put on the college-wide
event. A committee of volunteers plans fundraisers, manages the application and
family adoption process and plans a sophisticated gift pick-up event featuring
Santa, cookies and punch, and activities for children.
Heather
Ervin, administrative assistant at the CPTC Foundation, has been working and
donating to the Holiday House event for 8 years.
“Students
self identify that they would like assistance and are screened to ensure they
meet the guidelines of the Holiday House program,” said Ervin. “In addition to
the many presents, food and gift cards donated, just over $600 was raised in an
on-campus fundraiser and another $3,000 was donated from other sources.”
The
contributions to the event extend beyond the campus boundaries as well.
“A local
group, Lakewood Families in Business, holds a chocolate auction among their
members and has donated the proceeds for the last several years,” said Ervin. “This
is usually a few thousand dollars.”
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| Debbie Gurner places donations for families in the room being readied for the Holiday House event at CPTC Dec. 6. |
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| A room full of gifts awaits the 75 student families adopted during the Holiday House event at Clover Park Technical College Dec. 6. |
During the
pick-up event, held at the McGavick Center on the Lakewood Campus of CPTC,
smiles were plentiful. In fact, it was hard to tell who was smiling more, the
families receiving the presents or the volunteers who donated them. One thing
is certain; this campus is dedicated to providing more than just help achieving
educational goals. They are coming together to ensure the students are
successful members of the CPTC community.
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