Opportunities abound to give back

Looking to give back? Several opportunities are available at Wake Forest:

The Angel Tree

The Angel Tree is in Benson University Center on the second floor outside the food court. Each year, the Volunteer Service Corps student organization partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Potter’s House to provide holiday gifts for children who would otherwise go without.

The program depends on members of the university community who adopt the angels in order to provide holiday cheer for these nearly 150 children. The Angel Tree gifts were originally due Thursday, Dec. 5, but the deadline has been extended to Dec. 11. Please contact Meg Fallon at fallme0@wfu.edu or VSC adviser Shelley Sizemore at gravessa@wfu.edu for more information.

Gifts for Kids

Wake Forest Athletics and WGHP (FOX8) are partnering for the fourth consecutive year to bring the Gifts for Kids initiative to the Joel Coliseum for the Deacons’ basketball game against Richmond on Saturday, Dec. 7. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game. Fans will receive a free ticket to the game with the donation of a new toy with a retail value of $10 or greater.

All donations will be collected by The Salvation Army and will be given to children in the Winston-Salem area. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Backpack Program

For the fifth year in a row, WFDD (88.5), the NPR affiliate station licensed to Wake Forest, is partnering with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest N.C. in a campaign to support both organizations. This three-way partnership results in necessary funds for WFDD and support for the Food Bank’s Backpack Program, combatting childhood hunger.

This program sends food-insecure children home from school each Friday with a backpack full of nutritious food to sustain them over the weekend.

During the WFDD Backpack Campaign, corporate sponsor Ralph Lauren contributes a backpack of food to the Food Bank for each pledge received by WFDD, up to a total of 800 backpacks. WFDD will be on the air Dec. 11-12 for this campaign. More information is available at the WFDD website, wfdd.org, where real-time tracking of the number of backpacks raised is also available.