Making Christmas brighter for families

For the 20th year, Oak Meadows’ tenants, staff, volunteers and board have participated in the Holiday Helping Hands program sponsored by the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce (OACC).  oakdaleareachamber

Social Workers from School District 622 provide the committee a list of names of students and families who could use help for Christmas.  These names are then gone over by the committee and given to an individual or organization who will then shop, and wrap, gifts for families.

They are then delivered to each family on a Saturday in December by students from Tartan High School  isd622.org/tartan and members of the OACC and friends.   This year we had 82 families to deliver to!  We are split up into groups, and assigned a bus or car.

Oak Meadows supplies one of 10 buses.  Our bus was deemed the “Spanish Speaking” bus.  Meaning we delivered to families who primarily spoke Spanish.  Our Santa, Mrs. Santa and an elf were fluent in Spanish.

Oak Meadows was assigned a family of 6.  Tenants and staff shopped, and wrapped the gifts.  We had so much fun!  We look forward to doing it again next year.