Originally published at National Catholic Register
Much of the school community, from the athletics department to the student government, gets involved in the effort.
Multiple Catholic groups and organizations this year have collected and distributed Christmas presents to children and families in need — some of them continuing yearslong traditions ensuring that even those without means are able to put something under the tree on Christmas morning.
Father Greg Fluet, who serves as vice president for mission and ministry at Mount Saint Mary College (MSMC) in Newburgh, New York, told CNA that the school runs a student-driven gift program that distributes hundreds of presents every year to children.
“It’s an incredible thing,” he said. “We’ve been doing this for quite a number of years now. This year we collected over 800 toys that we gave to Catholic Charities in New York.”
“It’s something that we strongly believe at MSMC, that no child should be without a toy at Christmastime,” he said.
“Obviously, we can only do a small part, a very small little thing,” Father Fluet acknowledged. “But boy,
