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AGAS' Philanthropy Event Sponsors Mentor Iowa’s Adopt-a-Family

AGAS members are lined up in front of the gifts their purchased for children in the programOnce again this holiday season, our department participated in Mentor Iowa’s Adopt-a-Family holiday event. Mentor Iowa’s mission is to provide trained volunteer mentors to abused, neglected, and delinquent children who are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. Every year during the holidays, they host a Christmas party for the individuals in the program, their mentors, and their families in the Central Iowa area. For some of these children, this may be the only opportunity to receive gifts, so their goal is to make every child feel special during this festive time.

Our department’s Association of Graduate Animal Scientists (AGAS) organized a philanthropy event to sponsor children in the Mentor Iowa’s program and provide gifts for their holiday party. This year, our department was able to collectively sponsor 23 children in Central Iowa through the support of lab groups, individual faculty members, and undergraduate student organizations within the department. As an organization, we sponsored more children than any other group this year. Additionally, Mentor Iowa also set a new record in providing support to 365 children in Central Iowa!

On Friday December 9th, AGAS members got together for a fun Friday afternoon activity to wrap all 23 sets of gifts in preparation to take them to Des Moines. Organizers of this event were very proud of our department’s generosity towards making every child feel special and loved during the holiday season. Mentor Iowa’s creed states, “Every Child Deserves a Future,” and our department played a huge role in contributing to the success of their event and supporting their mission to help children in need.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

-AGAS

Kayla Miller and Mac Cassas, Co-Philanthropy Chairs

Grace Moeller, President