Staff members and student employees wrapped gifts on Dec. 15 in the Admissions and Records Office.
Many departments and offices around TMCC have chosen to adopt families in need, offering holiday gifts to the families in the place of exchanging presents between staff members.
Student Families
“TMCC videographer Tim Ill contacted me and got the ball rolling, and it was a good connection, because I help coordinate the Wizard’s Warehouse food pantry,” said Camille Vega, Prevention and Re-Entry Coordinator.
Ill is a staff member in the Marketing and Communications Office, part of the President's Office suite. The entire President’s Office suite, which includes the TMCC Foundation, Institutional Research and the Web Services team decided to join the effort, as well. Professional Development also decided to get involved. Vega researched items that would make holidays more special for families, and created a spreadsheet. She also sent an email to the TMCC community asking if additional departments or individuals would like to participate.
The offices participating so far adopted a large family—and then other departments responded. TMCC WebCollege adopted the second family, and three additional families were adopted by individuals from the following departments:
- Academic Advisement
- Access, Outreach and Recruitment
- Biology Department
- Counseling and Career Center
- Human Resources
- Retention and Support Services
- Sciences Division
- Student Resources Team
- Vice President of Academic Affairs Office
“The families asked for toys for the children, and many practical things like kitchen items, a spring bus pass, clothes, tools, socks, blankets, and towels,” Vega said. “There was a request for a gift card to WinCo to buy food for Christmas dinner.”
She said 25 individuals from five families are included in the giving project.
“These families each include at least one TMCC student, and sometimes two students,” Vega added. “These are students that are very active on our campus or are work-study students.”
Community Families
“Admissions and Records has adopted a family referred by Women and Children’s Center each year, for five years in a row,” said Director of Admissions Andy Hughes. “The TMCC Welcome Center and the Testing Center have been brought on board in the last three years.”
The Women and Children’s Center of the Sierra (WACCS) supports mothers with services such as preparing for high school equivalency, assisting with job search, and guiding or referring those experiencing a crisis. Together, Admissions and Records, TMCC's Welcome Center, and the Testing Center have been able to adopt two WACCS-referred local families for this holiday season.
New Student Services Administrative Assistant Helen Scott, who represents the Testing Center is also a member of the Classified Council.
“The Classified Council donated two turkeys out of the proceeds from their fundraiser, one turkey for each of the families,” she said.
Departmental staff members and student employees wrapped the gifts on Friday, Dec. 15 after Hughes treated all to a pizza party. They decided to add multiple bows as “bling” on the bike.
“The bicycle has been test driven,” Hughes added. “It took four people to assemble it.”
For more information about the student resources team at TMCC, please contact Camille Vega, Coordinator in the Counseling Center at 775-674-7987, and to contact Admissions and Records, call 775-673-7042.