HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 21, 2015 – Seven families from the Hattie Lee Burgess home, a safe haven for domestic violence victims in Davidson County, will receive a bright Christmas this year thanks to faculty, staff and graduate students of the High Point University Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.
“We hope that these people have a happy Christmas and a Christmas that they wouldn’t have had before,” said Dr. Wilfred Tremblay, dean of the School of Communication. “It is a great feeling to be able to do this for people in the community and make their lives better.”
The School of Communication held a party on Dec. 11 in honor of the shelter coordinators to present them with bags of gifts for the families. These gifts included footballs, bikes, remote control planes, teddy bears, basketballs, gift cards, household necessities and more.
“It amazes me to see the generosity shown to these people through HPU,” said Danette Edwards, shelter coordinator. “The looks on the faces of the families when they receive the gifts that have been provided is heartwarming. They are extremely grateful for this kindness during this most difficult time in their lives.”
This is the fourth year in a row that the School of Communication has adopted local families for the holidays.
“We know a lot of these children wouldn’t receive gifts if we didn’t get presents for them so it is an honor for us be able to give back in this way,” said Michelle Devlin, administrative assistant in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. “I brought my daughter along with me and was able to explain to her the impact that this is going to have on other children that are her age. It feels great to be able to do this.”