GMercyU Collects Hundreds of Gifts for Families in Need

Gwynedd Mercy University collected hundreds of gifts for families in need as part of its annual Holiday Outreach programs.

Members of the GMercyU community, including alumni, faculty, and staff, took part in the collections. The collections benefit families from the Gesu School in North Philadelphia and Mercy Neighborhood Ministries.

GMercyU's Campus Ministry and Sigma Phi Sigma Honor Society organize the Holiday Outreach programs each year, which include department-sponsored families as well as Giving Trees stationed around campus. GMercyU students and alumni also gathered together to wrap hundreds of gifts for children and special needs adults of Mercy Neighborhood Ministries.

The Gesu School serves some of the poorest ZIP codes in the Philadelphia region, and one out of three families has an income below the Federal Poverty Level. Each year, the school identifies families in need of a little extra help during the holiday season. GMercyU's Campus Ministry then matches those families with a participating department on campus. The department is responsible for collecting fixings for a Thanksgiving meal as well as gifts for Christmas.