MPTC Christmas In A Shoebox For Military Exceeds Goal

11/11/17 – Moraine Park Technical College’s Christmas In A Shoebox donation drive for the military was a success. Retired US Army Sergeant First Class Stephen Pepper, who is Moraine Park’s Student Veteran Specialist, says a wide array of help and generosity poured in from students, staff and community members, resulting in organizers exceeding their 2017 goal and setting a new record. The drive aimed to gather and package enough donated items to fill 100 boxes to ship to area military members this holiday season. Donations of personal hygiene items, snacks, magazines, books, movies and more were collected this year at all three Moraine Park campuses throughout October and early November. This year’s event total was 175 boxes, which is up from last year’s total of 150. The Beaver Dam Student Senate co-sponsored Christmas in a Shoebox with Moraine Park’s Student Veterans Association and Bright Futures of Beaver Dam, an organization that provides employment solutions for people with disabilities. From there, community members, faculty, staff, students and clubs helped sort, count and pack the items this past Wednesday. Pepper says he can speak from personal experience that getting a package from family is great. However, he says when a package is received from someone else, it tells our servicemen and woman that those outside their family circle cared enough to spend time, money and effort collecting items to be shipped to someone they do not even know. For more information on Moraine Park’s veteran services, visit www.morainepark.edu/veterans

 

Caption: Christine Gil fills a box with donations for military members during Moraine Park’s “Christmas in a Shoebox” event held Wednesday in Beaver Dam.