Employees donate big through Gifts from the Heart program
(SACRAMENTO)
In partnership with Sacramento County, every year UC Davis Health “adopts” names of foster youth, adults with disabilities and seniors in need to make their holiday season a little brighter.
The Gifts from the Heart Program provides these vulnerable individuals with wrapped gifts just before the Christmas holiday. With the help of social workers and Volunteer Services/Community Partnerships Office of the Department of Child, Family & Adult Services, a team of volunteers manage the distribution, pick-up, and delivery of donated gifts from community partners like UC Davis Health.
This year, employees at the health system adopted over 200 names from the list and received the most donations since the partnership began.
“What strikes me the most is that everything costs so much, yet people still want to give. It inspires me to do this work.” Said Jacqueline Larripa, WOW Cart Program Manager and Event Chair for the UC Davis Staff Assembly.
Staff begin to collect gifts in mid-October and rally colleagues within their department to adopt a name and donate gifts or money to purchase presents on the lists of the adopted individuals.
Kristine Lacy, who has worked at UC Davis Health for more than 18 years and participated in the cheery operation for more than 13 years, led her department to adopt more 65 names from the program this year alone.
“I love to do participate in this program.” Said Lacy who is an Executive Analyst for Information Technology. “I picture how they feel on Christmas and that they know someone cares about them through the gifts we’ve given them.”
This year. Lacy personally shopped for 15 adopted names to make their holiday season special.
