The most wonderful time of the year has arrived and the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services/Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education programs are encouraged students to “Adopt an Angel.”
The sixth annual “Adopt an Angel” program allowed everyone on campus to come together and spread the holiday cheer with the children of the CARE & California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids students.
There were 50 children on the list to become angels but were more on the waitlist.
“If there are enough adopters, then everybody will be able to participate,” said EOP&S, CARE, & CalWORKS director Sara Gonzales-Tapia.
This year’s theme was “It’s a Reading Wonderland.”
The idea was brought about to promote and encourage literacy at an early age.
“We have always done a theme of literacy because we want to encourage the children to love to read,” Gonzales-Tapia said.
The adoption process began on Nov. 16 and continued until Nov. 30.
To participate, students had to stop by the EOP&S office on the second floor of the Student Services building, complete a form and select an ornament from a Christmas tree with an angel’s information.
The information contained the child’s name, age and their wish list.
“That could maybe be the only gift they receive this Christmas,” EOP&S counselor Raul Sanchez said.
Once their information was received, purchase one gift valued at no more than $25 and an age appropriate book.
Gifts were wrapped or placed in a gift bag along with the tree ornament and turned in by Nov. 30 in the EOP&S office.
EOP&S/CARE supervisor Joanne Hinojosa said the students enrolled in the programs are limited on what they can do for their children due to their low-income status.
“Sometimes a Christmas gift is not something that is planned into their budget,” Hinojosa said.
A disguised Santa will distribute adopted angels gifts at a holiday party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 in the Citrus College Campus Center West Wing.
“Being a parent on campus is not an easy task”, Gonzales-Tapia said, “We want to have these students feel supported by the Citrus community.”
