The Office of Civic Engagement is spreading holiday cheer to Lewisburg-area locals in need through two annual philanthropy events: The Turkey and Trimmings Holiday Baskets and the Giving Tree.

The Turkey and Trimmings Holiday Baskets involve students, faculty, and staff filling baskets with items for local families to cook Thanksgiving dinners. The Office of Civic Engagement set a goal this year to compile 120 baskets for local families.The program received 111 baskets and enough monetary donations to reach their goal of 120 total baskets.

Local groups partnering for the Turkey and Trimmings Basket program include Penn Commons, local Head Start programs, Union County Assistance Office, Meadowview, and Essex Place.

Another opportunity to help those in need during the holiday season is provided by the Giving Tree. This program supplies gifts to local community members throughout the holiday season. In 2016, 16 agencies requested holiday gifts, with gift recipients ranging from the very young to the young at heart.

“Bucknell is so generous to these programs, which have an incredible reach into our local community where there is so much need. Many local residents would go without gifts or food for their holiday if not for these programs,” Lynn Pierson, Assistant Director for Community Service in the Office of Civic Engagement, said.

If you would like to make a difference in the local community by participating in the Giving Tree, select a snowflake gift request from the tree in the Bertrand Library lobby and sign the snowflake(s) out in the purple book, purchase your gifts, drop off gifts corresponding to that request, attach the snowflake or write the gift letter and number on the gifts, and bring the gifts back to the Office of Civic Engagement located in Bertrand Library 119 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, by Dec. 1.