Cornell, Mount Vernon community help 150 Christmas angels

Students, faculty, staff, and the community came together to donate gifts to help area families celebrate the magic of the season.

Each year, the Cornell College Civic Engagement Office works with students to put up the Angel Tree on the Orange Carpet, right in the heart of campus. The branches of the tree held paper ornaments with Christmas wishes for people of all ages. Cornell LEADS (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, And Distinctive Service) students organized a kick off for the event in early November and participants wrapped up the program at the beginning of December.

“Every step in the month-long journey is a joy—making the angels, preparing the tree, hosting the party, collecting all the gifts, and finally delivering all the gifts!” said Iowa College AmeriCorps Member Hannah Ganzel, who works in the Civic Engagement Office. “Everyone involved is brimming with pride and joy to be a part of the program, and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our community.”

This year, the Cornell College and surrounding community purchased gifts for 150 angels. The program has been going strong on campus for more than 10 years.

Allison Krull ’20, a sociology major from Winfield, Illinois, said she and many other students put in a lot of hours to help everything run smoothly, from planning to execution. Krull also selected an angel and smiles thinking about the child who will open the gift of Hungry, Hungry Hippos and kinetic sand.

“I think it’s easy to take gifts for granted during the holidays, but getting every item on a Christmas list is not a reality for a lot of families,” Krull said. “Knowing that I am giving a little bit of extra joy to someone when they might not have experienced it otherwise makes helping with this project worth it to me.”

The Civic Engagement Office reaches out to seven community organizations, Mount Vernon Elementary School, Hallmark Care Center, Southeast Linn Community Center, Waypoint, Catherine McAuley Center, Willis Dady Homeless Services, and Four Oaks, early in the season to determine the angels for the tree. Ganzel said it’s heartwarming to see students pick an angel off the tree and really connect with that individual. 

“They identify with the wish list and then feel the power that they have to affect this person’s life,” Ganzel said. “My favorite moment is when they drop off their gift. Frequently, it’s all wrapped up and they’re so proud of the work and time they’ve put into making their angel’s holiday brighter.” 

The gifts were distributed on Monday, Dec. 3, to get to the angels just in time for the holidays. Students and organizers are already looking forward to the Angel Tree program next year.

Krull has one more message for this year’s Cornell College angels.

“Happy Holidays! I hope these gifts help you or your family members in some way because that is the goal of the project: helping people by spreading positivity and happiness during the holiday season!”