{"id":10979,"date":"2024-01-17T08:50:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T13:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=10979"},"modified":"2024-01-18T13:38:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T18:38:49","slug":"a-true-blue-tradition-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2024\/01\/17\/a-true-blue-tradition-of-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"A True Blue Tradition of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Holiday Helper Tree Celebrates 30 Years of Bringing Holiday Cheer to Those in Need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Holiday Helper Tree is a shining example of Georgia Southern University\u2019s commitment to giving back to the community. This cherished tradition, which began in the fall of 1994, has touched thousands of lives across Bulloch and Chatham counties. And it started simply with two staff members who wanted to make a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eileen Sconyers-Smith, former senior administrative assistant for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and Victoria Du Ree, director of the Office of Volunteer Services, founded the program \u2014 initially named \u201cGeorgia Southern Holiday Helpers\u201d \u2014 with 250 tags representing Christmas wishes from individuals in need, identified by five social service agencies in Statesboro. Members of the Georgia Southern campus community would pull tags and purchase gifts for children and adults to enjoy on Christmas morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former organizers say it was always one of the highlights of their year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe joy began with the little ones who came to sing for everyone at the annual lighting ceremony,\u201d said Todd Deal, Ph.D., former director of the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement. \u201cThey were always giddy with anticipation! Then, the students who wheeled new bikes or brought baby dolls or toy trucks \u2014 the joy of the season simply shone from their faces. That joy and those bridges are the legacy of the Holiday Helper Tree for me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over its first 12 years, the program grew from five to 17 partner agencies in Bulloch County. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology joined the former Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement to support this growth. In 2010, the Holiday Helper Tree found a new home in the Russell Student Union, where there was a public unveiling of the tree decorated with tags every November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time Sconyers-Smith retired in 2018, she had overseen 24 seasons of the Holiday Helper Tree, and the program was working with 22 agencies in Bulloch County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global pandemic in 2020 posed unprecedented challenges for the Holiday Helper Tree. While the country was closed to most in-person gatherings, Jordan Wilburn, community engagement coordinator for the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, spearheaded the transition to a virtual Holiday Helper Tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This innovative approach not only sustained the tradition but expanded its reach, allowing members of the Georgia Southern community, including those at the Savannah and Hinesville campuses, to participate remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the virtual tree continued, accessible even to those outside the Georgia Southern community. This expansion allowed alumni, local business owners and other stakeholders to join in this tradition of giving. In 2022, the program extended to Chatham County for the first time, with 791 tags from 24 partner agencies in 2022. The items, mostly priced at $30 or less, ensured that giving back remained accessible and affordable. Today, the generous tradition has now grown to meet the needs of more than 800 individuals each Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe holiday season for a child in foster care is difficult, but with Georgia Southern University\u2019s support, we have fulfilled 100% of our wish lists,\u201d said Kristin Kramer, director of business operations at Child Advocacy Services, SEGA, Inc. \u201cWe are excited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Holiday Helper Tree! When students and faculty pull a tag, they are about to shine a glimmer of hope into the lives of strangers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Georgia Southern celebrates 30 years of the Holiday Helper Tree, organizers and participants are reminded of the power of community, the joy of giving and the True Blue commitment to service the program has fostered. And while it has served as a means of hope for its recipients, those who give say it\u2019s an even greater Christmas blessing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Holiday Helper Tree has been an integral part of our team for many years and provides us an opportunity to come together for a common cause to make a difference,\u201d said Gene Sherry, executive director for Campus Recreation and Intramurals. \u201cFor me personally, it provides real meaning for the season and reflection of how blessed I am.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Holiday Helper Tree Celebrates 30 Years of Bringing Holiday Cheer to Those in Need The Holiday Helper Tree is a shining example of Georgia Southern University\u2019s commitment to giving back to the community. This cherished tradition, which began in the fall of 1994, has touched thousands of lives across Bulloch and Chatham counties. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":11151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[86],"class_list":["post-10979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-fall-2023"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}