Cougs in the Community partnered with Manor Evangelical Church to help families and students in need with “Noel Christmas” event.
While many celebrate with family and friends over a hot meal during the holiday season, some are not that lucky. Meant to be a time of joy and cheer, the holidays pose major challenges to many people, including students. VanCougs give back to other VanCougs and community members with Noel Christmas, during this financially-challenging time of year.
On Dec. 14, Cougs in the Community, a program designed to help students connect to community engagement opportunities, partnered with Manor Evangelical Church to host their annual event titled, Noel Christmas. The event consists of providing a Christmas experience by giving 20 families a hot meal, presents, coats, wreaths and a family photo.
Elizabeth Becker, WSU Vancouver’s development and alumni relations coordinator, explained how these events highlight the need for student engagement in the community and how this partnership impacts WSU Vancouver families and others in need.
“I think it’s 85% of our students are in some sort of financial need basis, and we have the food pantry on campus, but that doesn’t always give everything that the families need. So, I think having this experience shows that there are other people that are out there who want to help our students and community… There’s people that care about them and there’s other resources too,” Becker said.
Erryn Crume, head organizer of Noel Christmas, started the event last year with the help of Manor Evangelical Church when she recognized there was a need for helping college students during the holiday season. Crume shared her past experiences of struggling to provide for her family while she was still in school.
“I was a college student. I had a child and I had to choose between education or my children, rent, bills and Christmas,” Crume said. She explained that she wondered how other struggling families compared to her when it came to dealing with Christmas and children. “I really prayed about it and this vision came to me. It was the Noel project,” Crume said.
According to Crume, Noel Christmas originally started to help WSU Vancouver students in need, but has since reached the Battle Ground community.
VanCoug volunteers at Noel Christmas. (Emily
Baumann/The VanCougar)
Riana Vincent, WSU Vancouver’s alumni coordinator and former student, explained how giving back to the community shaped her family’s holiday experience. “It’s one of my favorite things to do. Just giving back and helping the community is really important to me. It’s also really important to teach my kids how to do that and there are opportunities and options for people that need help or ways to give back,” Vincent said.
According to Becker, Cougs in the Community reported they will be hosting several events throughout the year to provide opportunities for WSU Vancouver students to give back. They plan to continue to grow a support system for their fellow students and community members.
Emily is a senior studying integrated strategic communication at WSU Vancouver.