The University will again support the Give Thanks Give Back campaign this holiday season.
Give Thanks Give Back aims to provide gifts and donations to area families in need by having individuals or departments adopt them.
The Office of Student Activities began this support of the 100 Neediest Cases, sponsored by the United Way and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in 1998 when staff members adopted a single family. By 2001, the effort had evolved into a campus-wide program called Give Thanks Give Back.
In 2002, the University community adopted 83 families. Last year, that number jumped to 166, far surpassing the goal of 150 families in honor of the Sesquicentennial.
This year, the University community hopes to adopt 185 families.
An individual can adopt one member of a family, or groups can join together to adopt an entire family. Those who sign up will be given clothing and shoe sizes for each family member, as well as a list of items they have requested. Monetary donations are welcome as well.
Gifts will be collected Nov. 8-12 at the Campus Y, and volunteer gift-wrapping parties will be Nov. 13 and 20 in Umrath Hall.
For more information, go online to restech.wustl.edu/~gtgb or e-mail gtgb@restech.wustl.edu.