Give Thanks
Give Back supports a group called 100 Neediest Cases (a joint project of the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the United Way), which runs a holiday gift-drive to benefit
the poorest families in St. Louis. 100 Neediest Cases identifies over 10,000 cases
of area residents struggling to overcome poverty around the holiday season. These cases,
or families, are then "adopted" by an individual, group, or business. The sponsor buys gifts,
clothing, household appliances, and/or other specially requested items for their adopted families.
Washington University became involved with the program
in 1998 when staff members of the Office of Student Activities adopted a
single family. By 2001, the effort had evolved into a campus-wide
program called Give Thanks Give Back. In 2002, the Washington University
community adopted 83 families. In the past two years, Give Thanks Give Back has
successfully adopted between 110 and 165 families. This feat was accomplished
through the hard work of a committee of undergraduate students and the generosity of
countless individuals, departments, Greek organizations, student groups, and residential floors.
This year, Give Thanks Give Back celebrates its fifth anniversary.
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Questions?
Feel free to contact us at gtgb @ restech.wustl.edu