The holidays of 650 families were made a little brighter thanks to the students and staff of the Chester County Technical College High School (TCHS) and the Child and Career Development Center (CCDC).

Students and staff from these schools, operated by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU), collected more than $40,000 in cash and goods as part of the annual Holiday Hope Chest, a charity event that provides a free day of shopping for Chester County residents in need.

Holiday Hope Chest events were held in four locations:

• TCHS Brandywine campus in Downingtown
• TCHS Pennock’s Bridge campus in West Grove
• TCHS Pickering campus in Phoenixville
• CCDC in Coatesville

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Hundreds of volunteers devoted their time on Saturdays in November and December to set up the event, assist shoppers, and wrap presents for the families. The majority of the volunteers were students, who didn’t just help to collect donations, but also donated their time to make sure the event ran smoothly and was enjoyable for participating families.

“Holiday Hope Chest is a great opportunity for TCHS to give back to the communities it serves. Everyone involved is excited and thrilled to serve the community in this way,” said Brian Hughes, principal of the TCHS Pennock’s Bridge campus. “TCHS instills in our students a strong sense of community. To see them live that out by helping families who have fallen on hard times have a wonderful holiday season, that’s just incredible.”

Families in need are referred to the Holiday Hope Chest by community organizations and are then given a voucher to shop at the Holiday Hope Chest store, which consists of new and gently used items such as toys, books, accessories, electronics, and clothing.

Patty Knecht, former director of the CCIU’s Practical Nursing Program, founded the program with her husband Duane, and they’ve seen tremendous growth over the years.

“The CCIU has really been instrumental in making the event a success,” she said. “It is truly community helping community with one of our focuses being community coming together.”

Families participating expressed their appreciation.

“This was such a blessing,” said one parent. “I got the one toy my son wanted and that I couldn’t afford. Thank you.”

According to Christyn Dodla, a social worker at the CCDC, “Every family was super kind and excited about the event, and were amazed with the variety of objects available.”

Click here for more information about Holiday Hope Chest.