Holiday Hope Program: A Heartfelt Success
Each year, the staff at Visions In Education come together to support families in our community through our gift collection initiative. This year, our goal was to raise over $2,500 to help brighten the holidays for some of our students and families. Thanks to the generosity of our incredible Visionaries, we surpassed our goal, raising a total of $2,904 – more than $400 beyond our target and received over 40 donated gifts!
Previously known as the “Adopt-a-Student” program, we were excited to introduce a new name this year: “Holiday Hope.” This change reflects our broader mission to provide warmth and support during a time of year that can be challenging for many.
This year’s program was led by Jackline Ochoa, Charter School Secretary, and Xiomara Whiting, Administrative Assistant. Together, Ochoa and Whiting organized the collection of donations and gifts while coordinating the gift wrapping and delivery dates for our staff.
“I have felt very honored to take on this project; it has truly been such a heartwarming experience. The overwhelming support we received from our staff honestly made me emotional,” said Ochoa, reflecting on her first time leading the initiative.
We hope the donations from our staff play a role in making this holiday season a little brighter for those in need.
Springing To Action: Virtually
In order to organize gifts and donations, our Communications Coordinator, Ben D. put together a virtual giving tree where teachers and office staff across our nine counties were able to select specific gifts that were needed. This year, due to the overwhelming support we were able to support 51 families in our community.
Ochoa added, “I am very happy and proud to see how many families we will be able to help this season.”
From the initial donations to the wrapping and delivery efforts, the collective spirit of giving was a reminder of our Visions’ spirit to serve our community. A heartfelt thank you to all of our staff for coming together to bring joy and hope to our students and their families.
“I truly appreciate Matt and Xiomara for all their hard work and support in making this program a success. I am very proud to be a part of this team!” said Ochoa.
A special thanks to our staff who volunteered their time to wrap and deliver gifts: Keely A., Ellie F., Dulce R., Georgina R., Tom M., Gabby S., Jenn A., Daniel V., Angelica G., Stacy C., Matt P., Jackie O., Zeana W., Jamie S., Mariah E., Krissy C., Karen M, Betty B., and Superintendent, Dr. Steve Olmos.
Thank you to our HR department for creating and leading this program in previous years. Your organization and dedication was incredibly helpful to make this yet another successful season.
We wish you all a joyful holiday season and continued success in the year ahead!
