The Gift of Milton’s Christmas Workshop
The holidays are a magical time at Milton Hershey School. One annual holiday tradition is Milton’s Christmas Workshop, an event where students of all ages shop for Christmas gifts for their family members.
“Caring about others is an important part of our MHS Sacred Values,” said Jane Gurt, Gurt Family Liaison for the Family Gratitude Foundation in Honor of Gertrude Gurt. “Milton’s Christmas Workshop inspires the spirit of family and giving. Our students have the opportunity to experience the importance of giving a gift to someone they care about.”
This store-like experience teaches our students about budgeting for purchases from the allowance money that is provided by the workshop and, most importantly, celebrates the joy of giving during the holidays.
“My family is going to jump up and feel excited when I bring home their presents. That makes me feel happy and excited, too,” said Hailey Isaacs, MHS first-grader.
Thanks to the many volunteers who invest hundreds of hours planning, organizing, and shopping for gifts, students browsed through this year’s collection of nearly 4,000 offerings ready to be shared. The most popular gifts this year were perfumed bath and body products, mugs filled with HERSHEY’S candy, blankets, socks, and of course, toys.
“The excitement on the students’ faces when they ask who they are shopping for makes all the hours of preparing worth it,” said Tanya Alfonso, Milton’s Christmas Workshop committee member and MHS Home Life Administrator.
The planning committee also consists of Jeanna Arnold, MHS Project Coordinator, Karen Brown, MHS Home Life Training Specialist, Dawn Heiselman, MHS Administrative Secretary, Candace Knoll, MHS Administrative Secretary, Keri McMullin, MHS Administrative Assistant, Aliena Reed, MHS Human Resources Analyst, and Julie Stefanowicz, MHS Project Coordinator. Thank you for working tirelessly throughout the year to provide this joyous experience to our students.
Milton’s Christmas Workshop is one supported activity of the Family Gratitude Foundation in Honor of Gertrude Gurt. If you would like to contribute to this annual event, please consider making a donation by selecting Milton’s Christmas Workshop from the drop-down menu.