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   A GOOD DEED — Good Samaritan Hospital Radiology students pose with Christmas presents that they've bought and wrapped for children who are a part of Good Samaritan Hospital's Giving Tree.  This year enough was collected to buy gifts for 12 less-fortunate children in Knox County.

Good Samaritan Hospital employees have stepped up to help make Christmas a little brighter for area children.

Through the “Giving Tree” program, this year hospital employees bought Christmas gifts for 173 less-fortunate children in the Vincennes Community, South Knox and North Knox elementary schools. Hundreds of gifts were collected for these children.

Debra Swain, Marketing Secretary and Coordinator of the Giving Tree, says employees of Good Samaritan Hospital always respond to this worthy project in a tremendous way. “They really go above and beyond in what is expected of them,” Swain said. “Our employees have such a giving spirit and are so generous that the kids are always adopted and provided for.”

For the Giving Tree, each of the schools provides the hospital with at least 20 names of children who may need a little extra this Christmas. The parents of the children fill out information forms that include the child’s sizes, interests, favorite colors, and wishes. The information along with the child’s age is added to a tag, which is hung on a hospital tree. Good Samaritan Hospital employees then choose the children they would like to buy for this Christmas.

“All of these 173 children will have presents under their tree Christmas morning,” Swain said. “We would love to be a little mouse and watch them unwrap the gifts, but just knowing that we helped to put a smile on a child’s face is all we need.”

Even Good Samaritan Hospital’s Radiology students chip in to buy gifts for the children each year. They hold raffles and do other fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to buy gifts for the Giving Tree children as well as to donate to Knox County’s Shop with a Cop. This year’s effort allowed for the students to buy gifts for 12 children. The students took it a step further this year by recognizing that the individuals in the nursing homes shouldn’t be forgotten. They contacted the area nursing homes and found out that some of them have Giving Trees for their residents, so the students bought Christmas gifts for four adults in the nursing homes.

Swain says Good Samaritan Hospital started the Giving Tree program to give something back to the community and to help the children of Knox County have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas.

 

GSH employees

help needy children in

Knox County

GIVING TREE PROGRAM

North Knox volunteers, Maridell and Rowe Sargent, load Christmas presents into a trailer to deliver them to all three North Knox elementary schools. The presents will be given to children who were a part of Good Samaritan Hospital's Giving Tree.