by Belle Peñaranda
Surprisingly, despite a record-breaking snowstorm in Northern Virginia that kept shoppers away from stores the weekend before Christmas, the Council's annual holiday gift wrapping fundraiser was an overwhelming success this year. We saw many last minute contributions on Dec. 23rd and 24th from generous, somewhat frazzled customers at local Barnes and Noble and Borders stores who were happy to donate money for a time-saving service. The Council managed to raise over $7,300 in gift wrapping this year, a substantial increase from last holiday season. Of course, none of this could have been possible without the help of our incredible and dedicated gift wrap volunteers, many of whom showed up to help out despite the hazardous weather. A lot of people also responded to many last minute pleas to fill gift wrapping slots, for which we are very grateful. Thank you to all volunteers who went out there for us—not only did you make Christmas shoppers' lives easier, but you helped raise much-need funds for our programs and awareness of our organization.
I would especially like to thank one volunteer who went above and beyond this holiday season. Caryn Goetz, already a volunteer teacher for the ESOL Learning Centers Program, took on the role of Gift Wrapping Coordinator. She has been a stellar gift wrapper every December (as long as I've been at the Council—four holiday seasons now!), always volunteering for the busiest weekend shifts and being willing to help out in a pinch. This year, she stepped up to the coordinator role, and she did a beautiful job. Caryn was responsible for coordinating volunteers for over 180 shifts in 10 stores and responding to hundreds of e-mails (plus more than a few phone calls). Also, she never hesitated to step in and help out with any last minute needs at all of the stores—she gift wrapped until the bitter end on Christmas Eve in Springfield! Incredibly, she did all of this as a volunteer, never complaining and always willing to do what was needed to get the job done. Thank you for being my lifesaver this year, Caryn.
The Council would also like to thank our partners at Barnes and Noble Clarendon, Borders Tysons, Barnes and Noble Tysons, Borders Baileys Crossroads, Barnes and Noble Potomac Yard, Borders Fairfax, Barnes and Noble Fair Lakes, Borders Pentagon City, Barnes and Noble Seven Corners, and Borders Springfield for allowing us to gift wrap at their stores. We look forward to a continued partnership for next year.
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