Holiday Donation Drive
The Holiday Drive is Loyola Marymount University & the Center for Service and Action’s annual philanthropic drive. We mobilizes the campus in support of the drive and the non-profit organization selected at the Holiday Drive Partner. The drive begins on November 15th and runs through December 16th at LMU. We collect a wish list from the organization and collect items from the list. Previous partners have included: Dolores Mission Elementary School, Guadalupe Homeless Project, Kenny Nickelson Foundation for Homeless Veterans with Children, The Children’s Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles and the Westside Children's Center.
The Center for Service and Action is pleased to announce St. Margaret's Center as the 2011 Holiday Drive Partner. Consider donating an item from the wish list below. This year, you can sign up to volunteer at the set up days and the Christmas party. To sign up, please visit the St. Margaret's Center website by clicking here.
There are many ways you can help make this drive a success!
- Donate money. All proceeds will directly benefit St. Margaret's Center. Please make your check payable to St. Margaret's Center. You can mail your check to the Center for Service and Action. We will collect all monetary donations and deliver them on December 16th. CSA will provide donation acknowledgement letters.
- Don't have time to shop? Call CSA and one of our holiday shoppers do the shopping for you. We will send you a copy of the receipt so you know what you donated.
- Do you like to shop online? You can shop directly on the Amazon Wish List by clicking here.
- Encourage your co-workers, departments and students groups to connect your holiday celebrations to the holiday drive. Contact Lorena Chavez for additional suggestions.
- Volunteer. Help during the set up days or sign up to volunteer for a shift of 3 hours. Sign up directly on the St. Margaret's Center website by clicking here.
- Bring a new unwrapped toy the Center for Service and Action (CSA). Our office is located in St. Robert's Annex (formerly One Card Office).
About St. Margaret's Center:
St. Margaret's Center, a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc., has served low-income and homeless families since 1987. The Center provides a comprehensive range of emergency and supportive services to more than 10,000 unduplicated individuals annually in the Los Angeles "L.A.X." area, primarily those living in the cities or streets of Lennox and surrounding communities.
St. Margaret's Center's mission has remained the same throughout its history, but the Center's programs have grown and evolved to respond to the needs of the community. St. Margaret's Center's programs target individuals and families who live at or below the poverty level, and are administered by a paid staff of three, and an average of 40 volunteers. Programs are offered in both English and Spanish, and are free of charge, with the exception of nominal fees for immigration and counseling services. Two target groups have developed over the years as the Center's staff has become aware of their unmet needs: Spanish-speaking families, and homeless individuals. The Center provides assistance, though, to anyone in need, regardless of the person's race, national origin or religious affiliation.
St. Margaret's Center’s goal is to provide relief, dignity and support to low-income persons in crisis and to assist individuals through case management and skills development to become more self-sufficient and to achieve economic security.
About the Christmas Party
On Saturday, December 17th the families will step into an exciting winter wonderland at Hollywood Park. Games, prizes, refreshments, face painting, arts and crafts, music, live entertainment and Santa himself will keep the children entertained while their parents select gifts for the children. Volunteers wrap the toys selected so the parents can proudly give their children gifts on Christmas Day. Each child will also receive a “goody bag” filled with toys, treats and a book. Each family will be given a $25 gift certificate from a local grocery chain to buy their favorite holiday meal.
The Center for Service and Action would like to thank the LMU partners for their support and sponsorship of the 2011 Holiday Drive:
- ASLMU
- Ethnic and Intercultural Services (EIS)
- Children's Center (LMUCC)
- LMU Staff Sentate
- Mane Entertainment
- Student Affairs Mission and Identity Committee
- Student Housing
- Upward Bound
Pickup service available for on-campus departments. Please contact CSA for questions and arrange pick up service 310.338.2959.
“St. Margaret’s Center staff and volunteers are so excited to welcome LMU’s participation in our 2011 Christmas Program! LMU staff, faculty and students have been so supportive of the Center through the years, and this year’s collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time! With the Christmas Program only weeks away, we’ve been worried about having enough resources to provide for the 450 families who are currently signing up. Each family is given a $25 grocery certificate, and parents select three toys per child---with nearly 1,100 children participating that’s a pretty tall order! And, as if that weren’t enough, we need to collect enough small toys and treats for 1,100 goody bags and 1,100 children’s books for them to enjoy on their way home from the event on December 17th. We wish that we could help more than the 450 families. It’s been such a difficult few years for families living in poverty, joined by many more that have fallen into the ranks of the poor when they lost their jobs. Beyond those suffering with the general economic malaise, there are those who have experienced unimaginable hardship. All of the families we serve appreciate the generosity of the LMU community next door to Lennox. Thank you and God bless!”
Mary Agnes Erlandson '82, Executive Director, St. Margaret's Center
"The purpose of the Holiday Drive is to provide an opportunity for the LMU community to join together and collect as many items for one of the organizations that serves as a service site for students, faculty and staff. By coordinating efforts across the university, we hope to make a significant impact by providing some of the most needed items for the Westside Children’s Center, ultimately showing our appreciation and gratitude for providing for students with meaningful service experiences."
Lorena Chavez, Assistant Director, Community Engagement, Center for Service and Action
"The Holiday drive provides LMU students, faculty & staff with a great opportunity to continue living out the Jesuit tradition of being men & women for others. While many members of Loyola Marymount give their time to those less fortunate, this gives the entire LMU community a chance to give those essential items that help provide children and their families with a safe and stable environment."
Jaime Jara ’12, Sociology, Donations Coordinator, Center for Service and Action