Office collects gifts to help area children

If you have no time to shop, make a donation and YSU staff will do it for you.
By HAROLD GWIN
Vindicator education writer
YOUNGSTOWN -- Employees in Youngstown State University's Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity are looking for some help to brighten the holidays for children who have incarcerated parents.
The office is collecting gifts for the "Each Child Remembered" program being run in partnership with The Center for Community Empowerment, 1420 Dogwood Lane.
This is the third year of YSU's participation in the local program and the university was able to collect gifts for more than 60 children last year. This year's goal is 100 children, said Christine Bidwell, secretary in the Equal Opportunity and Diversity office.
People have been generous in the past in supporting the effort, she said.
Those willing to help can stop at the office on the second floor of Tod Hall to pick up the name, age and gift preference of a child. They have the option of buying a gift or gifts themselves and returning them to the office, or they can make a cash donation which office staff will use to make a purchase for a specific child.
"We do the shopping for them," Bidwell said.
Working together
The Center for Community Empowerment, a nonprofit group whose mission is to empower disadvantaged families toward self-sufficiency, works with the Ohio Department of Corrections to get the names of children of incarcerated adults and provides a list of potential recipients to YSU's Equal Opportunity office.
Both toys and clothing are acceptable gifts, Bidwell said, noting that coats and boots are among the more popular clothing items.
Children from birth to age 17 are on the list.
Thursday is the deadline for bringing gifts to or making cash donations at the office. That gives the staff time to coordinate all of the items collected for presentation to the children during a Dec. 22 Christmas party at The Center for Community Empowerment, Bidwell said.
The Rev. Willie Peterson, pastor of NewBirth Community Church and executive director of The Center for Community Empowerment, said the effort is part of the statewide Angel Tree program created to remember children of incarcerated parents during the holidays.
A number of area congregations, including his own, participate in the program, he said, adding that he's been involved for at least seven years. People have been very generous, allowing the local effort to grow each year, he said.
This year's goal is to help 100 children, but the program could help 200 if the financial support is available, he said.
People wishing to help can also bring gifts or make financial contributions at the center's office on Dogwood Lane, Peterson said.
gwin@vindy.com