Fr. Gregoire Fluet, campus chaplain and director of the Mount’s Campus Ministry (center) helps students and staff pack up more than 1,000 gifts on Tuesday, December 10.
Toys, games, and art supplies were piled high in the Mount Saint Mary College Campus Ministry office on Tuesday, December 10. With students and staff scurrying about like elves, and a Christmas tree glimmering in the background, it looked a bit like Santa’s Workshop.
The Mount is making the holidays a little brighter for families in need. Through the annual “Giving Tree” event, the community donated 1,092 gifts to local children, according to Fr. Gregoire Fluet, campus chaplain and director of the Mount’s Campus Ministry. The toys were delivered to the Catholic Charities organization.
“I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to Bishop Dunn Memorial School, athletics and all the teams, Res-Life, the Student Government Association, our friends in Campus Ministry for sorting the toys, and the entire MSMC family for exceeding our ambitious goal,” said Fr. Fluet.
Over the last few weeks, tags hung like ornaments on the Giving Tree, and written on the back of each was a gift request from an underprivileged child. Mount community members donated the requested items, creating happy holiday memories.
“Service is the calling of our college,” said Fr. Fluet. “We are really called to help one another, to care for one another, and to uplift one another. It’s extremely important, and I’m overwhelmed at the generosity of the Mount community. It’s the biggest number of toys we’ve ever collected.”
With this year’s total added in, Giving Tree events over the last eight years have collected more than 6,000 gifts to local families.
The program was sponsored by Campus Ministry with aid from the entire campus.