Join a Holiday Gift Drive to Benefit Local Children

The UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) will once again join the Cincinnati GEARUP Success Partnership and Hamilton County Job and Family Services (HCJFS) to provide gifts to 830 eighth-grade students in GEARUP schools and some of the 6,000 children from birth to age 19 in Hamilton County foster care.

GEARUP, short for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” is a federally funded partnership that provides support, services and activities for at-risk students in 24 Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), encouraging them to continue their education through college.

We hope you can find the time and money to purchase a gift for one or more of these children in need. By doing so, you will brighten the day of child who may feel lost and forgotten. As we must distribute the gifts to the children before the last day of school before winter break, please drop your gift off at the GEARUP office (CECH Partners for Achieving School Success, Room 5140-H, Edwards One) by Wednesday. Nov. 28, 2007.  

When bringing in your gift, attach the child’s description (age and male or female) so that we know for whom you intended your gift and we will distribute your gift appropriately.

We ask you to recognize the following guidelines when buying your gift:

• Age -- Gifts are needed 830 for eighth-graders and more than 6,000 children from newborn to age 19 are in foster care in the Greater Cincinnati area.
• Nonviolent -- Please, do not donate violence-oriented toys.
• Diversity -- Please remember that the majority of children we are serving are minorities. When buying dolls, please make them culturally appropriate.
• Wrapping -- Do not wrap your gifts. Both organizations prefer gifts to be unwrapped.
• Batteries -- It is better if gifts do not require batteries because they are difficult to replace once they run down, but if your gift requires them, please supply the correct size and number.
  

There will be a Celebration in 5140 Edwards One on Friday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which we will display all of the gifts and thank you for your generosity. Please plan to stop by.