This holiday season, schools in the Contra Costa Community College district are taking part in different ways to spread the holiday cheer.

Los Medanos College is taking part in the Angel Tree program, which was described by LMC President Bob Kratochvil as an, “annual campus event, which spans more than a quarter century, highlights the generosity of LMC’s staff, faculty, and managers.  It is a wonderful opportunity for Los Medanos College to ‘make dreams come true’ for boys and girls in our community – just as we do each day for our students.”

The Angel Tree program has been a mainstay on campus for almost 30 years.

“It started 27 years ago, and at that time, Linda Ferrante, who is now retired headed up the project,” said office of instruction member Eileen Valenzuela, “A year later, she asked me if I wanted to help. Upon her retirement, I asked Linda Kohler if she’d like to participate. Linda Kohler and I have been heading up the Angel Tree program since 2002.”

Valenzuela went on the detail how students and staff can participate in the Angel Tree program.

“The Angel Tree was decorated on Monday, Nov. 30 and is located outside the business office. It will be decorated with Angel ornaments that have a tag bearing the sex and age of a child, who is in need of a gift.  Gifts of new toys or new clothing are desired. If you would like to participate in this program, please remove the tag and buy an appropriate gift and return the gift(s) unwrapped to Linda in the business office, or Eileen in the office of instruction.  You do not need a tag to participate. The last day to bring gifts is Tuesday, Dec. 15,” said Valenzuela.

Along with the Angel Tree program, Contra Costa Community College has already begun accepting donations for a toy drive of their own.

CCC police officer Timothy Thomas started up this toy drive back in 2010.

“Each officer was asked to generate a community project and so I had generated this toy drive. It was the beginning of everything we have now,” said Thomas.

This toy drive works similarly to the aforementioned Angel Tree toy drive. Thomas said, “is there are barrels in each police sub station and people can bring unwrapped toys to them, those barrels will then be collected and inventoried and they’re going to go out to a shelter in Richmond.”

Thomas also made it a point to mention the people behind the scenes stating, “All the people throughout the district behind the scenes at LMC, DVC and Contra Costa that made this toy drive a go, there’s a lot of people who play a big roll into making this successful.”

If you would like to donate this holiday season the Angel Tree is outside the business office at LMC.