Catholic Center plans volunteer events

Jessica Conway

The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, but especially for the Washburn University Catholic Campus Center who will once again be dedicating their time to December projects.

Included in these projects, also hosted by HALO and RHA, will be three giving trees set up in the Catholic Campus Center building, the multicultural center and one at the residence halls.

Each tree will have tags on it with lists of gifts that are needed for the many children and adults that simply can’t afford Christmas without a little help. These lists come from the Rescue Mission, the KUC Behavioral Health Care Center which hosts more than 600 foster care children, Doorstep and Let’s Help. The trees will be available starting Nov. 14, and all gifts will be delivered on Dec. 9.

“I guess we’re hoping these children will feel they are having Christmas just like all the other children. We want to give them a good Christmas or at least contribute to that in some way,” said Patti Lyon, director of the Catholic Campus Center.

Also planned for Dec. 9 is the group’s annual Christmas party where they will be making Christmas goodies for a family they adopted through the Volunteer Center of Topeka Christmas Bureau.

They will also provide a gift for each child and adults and a meal or funding for a meal. The money for this comes in through their collection at Sunday mass.

The Catholic Campus Center is also planning to host a meal at the Ronald McDonald house for families of those children who spend Christmas in the hospital, though the date for this is not yet determined.

“Our basic goal is to be a resource to the students in fellowship and truth, and to provide service to the community,” said Lyon.