This year’s Credit Union of Southern California’s (CU SoCal) Santa’s School Takeover came to Ponderosa Elementary School in Anaheim, giving out $18,000 total in gifts to students as well as gift cards and lunch for faculty and staff.
The Anaheim Hills-based credit union—through its non-profit charity organization, Helping Hands—gifted 1,200 toys to students and 97 gift cards at the special event held from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 13.
To prepare for the event, 55 of Santa's CU SoCal “elves” (team members) went out and shopped for the 1,200 gifts. Dozens of CU SoCal elves arrived the night before to transform an ordinary classroom into Santa's workshop. Toys of all shapes and sizes were displayed on tables, grouped by specific age groups.
On Dec. 13, one specific age group was sent at a time into Santa’s workshop to pick out their toys and meet with Santa. According to the teachers, the younger children loved seeing Santa (played by a CU SoCal team member from the Real Estate Department) even more than receiving a gift. Lunch was served to the entire school of staff of nearly 100.
In 2006, CU SoCal began its holiday gift giving program with an Adopt-a-Family charity event in which the credit union donated gifts to 20 low-income families. In 2010, the credit union converted the program into Santa's School Takeover.
Each year the credit union selects a school district based on a city where one of its branches is located. The district then selects a school with students with the most need. This year, the Anaheim Elementary School District was chosen, and in turn, the district picked Ponderosa for the 2018 Santa’s School Takeover.
Helping Hands raises money annually for several community events, including Santa’s School Takeover. It donated the $18,000 for this event.
Students from Ponderosa Elementary School look at all the gifts provided by Santa's CU SoCal “elves” (team members).
Students, faculty, and staff from Ponderosa Elementary School in Anaheim were treated to Credit Union of Southern California’s Santa’s School Takeover, receiving gifts and lunch. The Anaheim Hills-based credit union provided a total of $18,000 worth of gifts and gift cards via its non-profit charity organization, Helping Hands, at the special event held Dec. 13.