The Georgia Southern Holiday Helper Tree needs more elves! According to Urkovia Andrews with the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, there are still approximately 300 tags left to be pulled before the deadline.
The deadline is this Friday, December 1, so community members are encouraged to choose a tag now and help the University grant the Christmas wishes of almost 800 individuals through more than 25 local social service agencies this year.
The Holiday Helper Tree is the longest standing holiday tradition at Georgia Southern. At the tree lighting ceremony in November, Georgia Southern First Lady Jane Redding Marrero reminded those in attendance to count their blessings and remember the season of giving as they prepare to support this year’s tree.
“Each of those tags is a person, a family, a need,” she said. “It’s time to give of our resources and to serve and to encourage.”
How to select a tag
Those interested in shopping for the tree should make their tag selection(s) on the website, at which time they will receive additional information about how to ship the gifts. All gifts should be mailed or shipped directly to the agencies no later than December 1. Shoppers are asked to update their delivery confirmation in the system once the gifts have been shipped.
View a tutorial on selecting a tag below.
The preferred method for delivering gifts is direct shipment to the agencies; however, gifts may be dropped off at the agencies if necessary. If dropping off gifts, Georgia Southern requests that you contact the agency first to make arrangements.
The other option is to drop the gifts off at the OLCE (Russell Union Suite 1056 on the Statesboro Campus; Student Union Suite D234 on the Armstrong Campus). Please email Dr. Urkovia Andrews at uandrews@georgiasouthern.edu prior to dropping off.
OLCE will also be collecting donations of gift wrapping supplies (paper, bags, bows, tape, etc.) to give to the partner agencies so they can wrap the gifts. Those may be dropped off at OLCE Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Complete information on the Holiday Helper Tree is available here. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Andrews at the OLCE at (912) 478-1435 or leader@georgiasouthern.edu.
The History of the Holiday Helper Tree
The Holiday Helper Tree was founded at GS in 1994. Eileen Sconyers Smith was working as an administrative assistant for the university at the time, and her department was approached by fellow GS staff Victoria Du Ree.
“She was looking for someone to help her with a list of names that she had received from less than five agencies in Bulloch county,” Smith said. “They had a number of people in need throughout the Christmas holiday season.”
The university was hesitant to take on the list of names, but thanks to the work of Smith and Du Ree, the program took off that year.
“Victoria talked to the coordinator of our social work emphasis program at that time, and he said he was already overloaded so he couldn’t do it,” Smith said. “He had invited me to sit in on the meeting with them, and I have no idea why. I guess it’s one of those things that I like to call ‘a god thing.’”
Smith agreed to help Du Ree, and the two women got to work on the list of names. That year, the program provided gifts for approximately 250 individuals from five different organizations in Bulloch county.
“Some of the wishes just break my heart because of how basic they are, just things that we all take for granted each day,” Smith said. “I remember once there was an elderly gentleman and all he wanted was a box of graham crackers.”
Smith has since retired, and the Holiday Helper tree remains a beloved Christmas tradition at GS. Today, the program meets the needs of approximately 800 individuals from over 20 community organizations.
The deadline to pull a tag this year is Dec. 1. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has offered a virtual option for pulling tags through their website.
“This program really represents the loving, giving nature of our campus community,” Smith said. “Those that can provide and those that would, they have always, since the beginning of this program, been willing to share with their community. I always enjoy seeing it.”