“As we see changes with healthcare and SNAP benefits there couldn’t be a better time to think about sponsoring and giving to people in need,” CEA Vice President and Connecticut Education Foundation President Joslyn DeLancey told Allison Demers recently on iHeart Radio’s Community Access program.
The holiday season provides the perfect opportunity to give back, and DeLancey is encouraging people across the state to do so by taking part in CEA’s Holiday Bear Project.
“Our Holiday Bear Project is my favorite program of the year,” DeLancey says. “We make sure that students receive gifts to be able to celebrate the season when they might not otherwise get any.”
DeLancey explains that the CEF Holiday Bear project enables teachers around the state to nominate students who otherwise wouldn’t receive gifts in December. Educators submit a student’s first name, their interests, what they would like, and what they need to form a wish list.
“Over eight hundred students have been nominated across the state to receive holiday gifts this year,” DeLancey says. “We’re looking for small businesses, local associations, school districts, and individuals across the state who can sponsor a student or multiple students—or donate funds to the Holiday Bear Project.”
Sponsors receive the first name of a student, their wish list, and a large duffel bag with the Holiday Bear logo. Sponsors shop for their student, wrap the gifts, put the gifts in the duffel bag, and deliver the bags to CEA offices in Hartford by December 5.
“We deliver those bags to the schools, and the kids get to go home at the winter break with a bag full of gifts,” DeLancey says.
Anyone who wants to support Holiday Bear but doesn’t have time for shopping can donate funds so that others can shop on students’ behalf.
“We have a lot of districts where they’ll sponsor a bunch of kids and then a group of teachers or a class will split up the wish lists,” DeLancey says. “One person will buy one or two gifts and then another will buy one or two gifts and the group will combine them all together for each student. It’s a really fun way to build community.”
She adds, “It’s a nice way to celebrate the holiday season and the spirit of the holidays, especially right now when we know money is tight for so many people.”
Listen to this episode of Community Access to learn more about the Holiday Bear Project.
