MALVERN, Pa. — This fall, the Penn State Great Valley campus community collected donations of food and gifts to support two local nonprofit organizations, the West Chester Food Cupboard and Camp Dreamcatcher.
For 19 years, the Great Valley community has participated in Camp Dreamcatcher’s adopt-a-family holiday program to support youth impacted by HIV/AIDS. This year, Great Valley faculty and staff contributed cash and bought holiday gifts for eight children, ages 5 to 17, from three Chester County families.
On Dec. 9, employees gathered to wrap dozens of gifts — clothes, shoes, toys, and gift cards — while listening to festive music and sharing pizza and sweet treats.
“We were able to get everything the children asked for,” said Kailash Satyamurthy, associate engineering professor and one of the organizers of the gift collection. “We also add something special for the parents. We all get together and celebrate by wrapping gifts, eating, laughing and listening to Christmas music and, for a couple of hours, thinking about others and not ourselves.”
The Penn State Great Valley community also participated in a fall food drive for the West Chester Food Cupboard, which provides a variety of healthy food and personal care items to more than 6,000 people per year. Great Valley collected 375 pounds of nonperishable food and toiletries this year, a record amount for the campus, which has donated an average of 252 pounds per year since 2021.
“Community care is at the heart of who we are,” said Becky Stanko, Great Valley's sustainability and community impact specialist and one of the organizers of the food drive. "Through initiatives like our food and personal care drive, we aim to ensure that every neighbor feels supported during challenging times. Every item — whether it’s a can of soup, a box of pasta or a bottle of shampoo — makes a meaningful difference."