As the season of giving approaches, Guadalupe Center, a nonprofit organization focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, is inviting the Southwest Florida community to open their hearts and bring joy to families in need by donating new, unwrapped gifts for the organization’s annual Holiday Gift Shop, which provides Christmas presents for children of low-income families from Immokalee, one of the community’s hardest hit by Hurricane Irma. The Holiday Gift Shop event will take place on Friday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 9 at Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. The nonprofit organization is holding a gift drive now through Dec. 3, encouraging the donation of toys, clothing, shoes and gift cards, appropriate for children of all ages.
Decorated with holiday cheer by volunteers, the Holiday Gift Shop will provide parents with the opportunity to browse a collection of gifts, selecting up to three gifts per child. Volunteers will assist families through the gift shop, helping with the selection and wrapping of gifts. This year Guadalupe Center’s Holiday Gift Shop will serve more than 400 families.
“This is a magical season, and yet there are some families that are unable to offer their children the joy of opening gifts on Christmas Day due to the burden of financial hardships,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president of Guadalupe Center. “Hurricane Irma really devastated this community, and the need has never been greater. With the help of the community, we will help spread holiday cheer to many families and households that are unable to afford the expenses associated with the holiday season.”
For more than a decade, local organizations have joined together to make significant donations to the Holiday Gift Shop, including Laces of Love, a local nonprofit partner who continuously contributes to the event, donating more than 400 pairs of shoes to this year’s drive. If interested in collecting gifts, please contact Bob Spano at 239-657-7145 or rspano@guadalupecenter.org.
Gift donations for the Holiday Gift Shop can be dropped off at Guadalupe Center’s Naples Office at 2640 Golden Gate Pkwy. in Naples, Guadalupe Center’s Resale Shop at 8100 Trail Blvd. in Naples or Guadalupe Center at 509 Hope Circle in Immokalee. Monetary donations will also be accepted at https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=2966b4&bblinkid=67734888&bbemailid=5545631&bbejrid=419774640, and the organization will purchase a gift in your honor.
For more information about the gift drive or the annual Holiday Gift Shop, visit www.GuadalupeCenter.org or https://www.guadalupecenter.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=359812&type=d&pREC_ID=1315753
About Guadalupe Center
Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven, nonprofit organization with proven results in creating endless possibilities for the students of Immokalee through education and fostering personal and academic success that leads to economic independence. With a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, Guadalupe Center is proud of the children’s accomplishments: 94% exceed kindergarten readiness measures, 100% of Tutor Corps high school seniors graduate high school and are accepted into college, and more than 90% graduated with a post-secondary degree.
