Many of us are spending the weeks of December planning for the holidays and purchasing gifts for our loved ones as we delight in holiday celebrations. For some, however, there will be no turkey dinners or gifts to exchange. Instead, they will struggle to provide socks and a warm winter coat for their child or will have to make the choice between paying the heating bill or buying groceries to feed their family.
For the past 24 years, Core Bank has been able to provide Christmas gifts for over 100 families and over 120 elderly individuals. This year, as in years past, Core Bank employees have chosen to adopt four families from local schools and six elderly individuals from the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Once all the gifts are purchased, they are wrapped during a lively gift-wrapping party where holiday music is played all afternoon long as employees wrap gifts with great care. Each year employees end up wrapping about 300 to 400 gifts. Once the gifts are ready to go, a team of employees sets off across the city to deliver each family’s gifts to the schools and school counselors.
“It’s heartwarming to shop for gifts along with co-workers. Employees put their thought and care into each individual gift purchased as if they are buying them for a close friend of family member. We hope to give deserving families and individuals a memorable Christmas,” shared Lindsey Wedel, VP of Human Resources.
Many families we have helped in the past had fallen on hard times due to being laid off from work, health issues, or leaving domestic violence situations. These families struggled to provide necessities, let alone Christmas gifts for their children. The elderly individuals often have little if any family support and struggle to make ends meet.
Core Bank employees have been able to give these families and individuals a Christmas to remember by donating money, either cash or check, or by purchasing an item from the families’ and individuals’ wish lists. Our employees are extremely generous, as each year nearly every item on the wish lists is donated or purchased with donated cash. A fall bake sale was held with Core Bank employees making treats while other staff purchased them with the funds going towards the Christmas Families gifts. May everyone have a wonderful holiday season!