From Wish Lists to Wrapped Gifts
The Christmas Families Gift Drive is one of Core Bank’s most cherished holiday traditions, bringing joy and comfort to those who need it most.
Every holiday season, Core Bank embraces the spirit of giving by “adopting” individuals and families in need. Through partnerships with OPS, MPS, and ENOA, we receive personalized lists of wishes and essential items for each person. Core Bank employees generously donate gifts, and any remaining requests are completed by the bank. Once all the gifts have been gathered, we hold our annual wrapping party to tie everything up in a bow! Each year employees end up wrapping about 300 to 400 gifts.
Many of the families we’ve supported in past years have faced challenges such as job loss, health issues, or fleeing domestic violence. For others, the struggle lies in providing simply the essentials – leaving little for holiday gifts. Elderly individuals, often without family support, face similar hardships.
This year, we were able to provide gifts for four families and six individuals. Over the past 27 years, Core Bank has proudly provided Christmas gifts for over 110 families and over 140 elderly individuals.
The people at Core Bank truly understood the assignment and donated generously this year, giving the committee the ability to purchase larger items such as mattresses and food gift cards. It was a very humbling experience to see everyone come together to support these families and individuals.
Behind The Scenes: This Year’s Christmas Families Crew
Michelle Greenwood and Lindsey Wedel once again did a wonderful job leading this holiday tradition. With help from employee volunteers, they coordinated with schools and organizations to gather wish lists. After organizing gifts throughout December, they planned shopping trips for missing items. The team then hosted the annual employee wrapping party, preparing hundreds of presents. Thank you to this year’s volunteers (Adam, Sam, Emily, and Jackie) for helping to make the Christmas Families Gift Drive a success.
From all of us here at Core Bank: We hope you, your family, and your loved ones have an incredible Christmas and Holiday Season.
