WCU Continues Tradition of Collecting Holiday Items to Aid Promise Program Students

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WCU promise program
Image via West Chester University.

During its five-week winter break when most students leave campus, WCU will continue its tradition of helping Promise Program students who do not have homes by providing — at no cost — rooms in the residence halls, meals, and the friendship of university staff. 

Thanks to a university-wide holiday drive organized by Head Football Coach Bill Zwaan, with the help of staff in the Division of Student Affairs and Deputy Director of Financial Aid Tori Nuccio, gifts for 43 Promise Program students are being collected now through Dec. 13, at 9 AM and 3 PM. They can be dropped off at Coach Zwaan’s office on campus, which is located at 850 South New Street in West Chester.

For the past few years, Coach Zwaan and his siblings have foregone their own gift-giving to be Santa to WCU Promise Program students; they provide surprise gifts for the students.

“If you would like to help, think like a college student,” said Coach Zwaan. “Our Promise Program students need gift cards from Wawa, 7-11, Dunkin’, Acme, Giant, Wegmans, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Amazon, WCU Campus Store, Walmart, and local restaurants. They can also use the following:

  • WCU sweatshirts and hoodies, hats and gloves, scarves, slippers, headphones, Bluetooth speakers
  • Storage totes/ bins or shower caddies
  • Photo frames/journals/day planners
  • Laundry baskets and hampers
  • White boards or cork boards
  • Thermal water bottles
  • Bath toiletry sets

Thank you so much for helping our students!”

The WCU Campus Store notes that everyone can shop online or in the store without restriction. The store advises that if people are shopping online at wcucampusstore.com, the name “Charity” should be used at the checkout section, along with the address of the store, which is 110 Rosedale, West Chester PA 19383, and the delivery method should be “pickup in store.”  

WCU has been providing service to students on campus who are determined housing insecure since 2014. In addition, since the summer of 2016, summer housing is offered to students who are categorized as “unaccompanied homeless and foster youth.”

The university expanded services to foster youth and formalized its efforts into a campus support program known as the Promise Program thanks to organizer Tori Nuccio. The Promise Program provides support services including monthly programming, priority access to housing, tutoring, jobs on-campus, and much more.

WCU also provides a Resource Pantry for WCU students in need, which provides fresh food from the university’s South Campus and Tanglewood Gardens, as well as a room for toiletries and school supplies, a welcoming intake space for students, and even an area where donated desktop computers can be provided.

The Resource Pantry organizes a program entitled Operation S.N.O.W. (Student Needs Over Winter). Student organizations commit to collecting one item and bring their items to an event where bags of food are packed, so they can be delivered to residence halls and kitchens for WCU students staying on campus during winter break. The Resource Pantry resides within the Center for Civic Engagement & Social Impact (CCESI), and is supported by the Office of Financial Aid, Office of Student Affairs, and very generous donors through the WCU Foundation.

Learn more about West Chester University.

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