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Holiday giving at Penn

Lauren Hertzler

Penn Today

Monday, December 10, 2018

The Netter Center for Community Partnerships’ Penn Volunteers in Public Service has also brought back its Adopt a Family initiative this year, in which Penn departments and centers purchase gifts for deserving families in Philadelphia. Usually done in lieu of departmental gift exchanges, Isabel Sampson-Mapp, who runs the program, says folks interested in getting involved still have time—she just asks that gifts are delivered to the families by Dec. 20.

“There are a lot of families this year, as we’ve extended partnerships with various agencies, including Veterans Upward Bound and the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic,” she says. “So far, we have close to 30 families adopted, most from the West Philadelphia area, but the need is still great.”

The Netter Center is also hosting a coat drive, accepting garments that are “laundered and in good shape” to donate to area shelters, and a toy drive, in which contributions go toward Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s annual holiday party for the homeless and disadvantaged. Toys should be new and unwrapped, and can be delivered to Sampson-Mapp’s office at the Netter Center, on the second floor of 111 S. 38th St. Gifts for children, teenagers, and adults in need are also collected for Blackwell’s party during Penn President Amy Gutmann’s annual holiday reception.