GMercyU Continues Holiday Outreach Initiative
This holiday season, Gwynedd Mercy University continued its Holiday Outreach initiative, a service program that has been a tradition at the university for more than 25 years.
Faculty, Staff, and administration come together by department to "adopt" 15 families at the Gesu School in North Philadelphia. Each participating department provides a bountiful Thanksgiving meal and gift cards for holiday shopping.
GESU School is an elementary school founded by the Society of Jesus that is a national model for elementary education that benefits children from one of Philadelphia's most marginalized neighborhoods.
The long-standing tradition of Holiday Outreach invites the GMercyU Community to live our commitment to Service to Society by providing a meaningful connection to, and critical resources for families in need. This is particularly important during this season of uncertainty, when many families who depend on federal support to feed their families are facing delays and cuts to their benefits.
Following the collection on Friday, November 21, the GMercyU Community gathered for an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service to reflect on gratitude with different faith backgrounds and bless and send holiday meals gathered for the GESU School.
In addition to the collection for the Gesu School, all members of the GMercyU community also have the opportunity to purchase Christmas toys for pre-school children at Mercy Neighborhood Ministries. These gifts will be collected and wrapped at GMercyU's annual Christmas Tree Lighting celebration on Tuesday, December 2.
Mercy Neighborhood Ministries is located in Tioga, North Philadelphia, and provides essential services to children, families, and adults with special needs. Additionally, members of the Voices of Gwynedd and the GMercyU Alumni network are hard at work purchasing gift wishes for children who attend after school programs through Mercy Neighborhood Ministries.
Learn more about The Mercy Center for Service, Spirituality, and Justice.