No promises can be made about whether it will be a white Christmas this year, but the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management can promise gifts for a few dozen children in the Pittsburgh area.
The Office, through the Pitt Police Department, is involved in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program and collected gifts for 60 children.
Through the Angel Tree program, a child’s name and age is written on a tag that is placed on a Christmas tree on the first floor of the Jerome Cochran Public Safety Building. An employee selects a tag and buys an age-appropriate gift for the child.
“What we do here brings hope and happiness,” said Police Officer Jamie Cunningham, who organizes the Angel Tree program. “There are many underprivileged children who deserve the magic of Christmas and the thought that someone out there is thinking of them. Our involvement provides just this.”
The Office of Public Safety has been involved with the program since 1999, and during that time, Pitt Police has helped 988 children, according to the Salvation Army.
For Officer Cunningham, who is a member of the department’s Community Programs Unit and has been organizing the event for the last two years, the experience is an important one for her and her children -- a 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
“I took over the toy drive to help out a colleague initially and to keep the tradition going. However, as my involvement became more in depth, it has meant so much more,” she said. “I also allow my children to help pick out the gifts. It teaches them that it's okay to help others in need and it's not always about us.”
Officer Cunningham said she increased the number of children on this year’s tree from 50 to 60, and her colleagues didn’t hesitate to step up.
“I am beyond grateful with the amount of support I receive,” she said. “The Christmas tree goes up , the name tags go on, and it is a choice to participate or not. I ordered 10 more tags this year than last and all were claimed quick! Without the support of my colleagues, there wouldn't be a toy drive at our location.”
The Salvation Army, which picked up the gifts on Dec. 9, delivers them to families by Christmas. In a separate drive, the Office of Public Safety is also accepting gift card donation for older children living in foster homes or with foster families.
