The Center for Student Involvement is beginning to brighten up the holiday season at Montclair State University.
The organization hosted Holiday Craft Night and Card Making on Dec. 3, where guests had the opportunity to create holiday cards that will be sent to a local hospital to cheer up cancer patients during the holiday season.
Students created holiday cards to cheer up cancer patients who are often alone during the holidays.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Megan Flood, graduate coordinator of weekend programming, explained that the main goal of this event was for students to give back to society.
“We wanted to have a fun event where students could give back to the community,” Flood said. “I’m also a member of the local organization called The Young Professionals, so we work with the local hospitals and we do different community service projects. And tonight, we decided to do the card making so that we can give the cards to patients and then we wanted to add crafts, too, for the holiday season.”
Megan Flood says the purpose of the event was to give back to the community and put a smile on someone’s face.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Flood expected students to start getting into the holiday spirit and have fun while putting a smile on someone’s face during these times.
“The cards are super meaningful to [cancer patients],” Flood said. “A lot of the patients are at the hospital during the holidays alone, which is really sad, so these little cards mean a lot to them. I hope that [students] enjoy giving back to the community, have fun and get in the spirit for the holidays.”
Students make colorful and creative holiday cards.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
For some, being part of this event and contributing to a great cause was meaningful and gratifying.
Nereida Delgado shared the importance of contributing to a good cause, even if it’s with a simple holiday card.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Nereida Delgado, a freshman undecided major, shared her personal opinion on this special event.
“I think it’s really important to make someone else’s holiday season better,” Delgado said. “Even if it is with something simple like a card [because] a lot of people are feeling lonely, especially those that can’t have their families to visit because of [coronavirus] COVID-19 restrictions.”
Supplies to make bracelets and other crafts were also provided.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Aside from being able to cheer up those individuals who are fighting against cancer, those running the Holiday Craft Night and Card Making were also hoping that this event served as a method for students to destress from finals.
Jess Parnas wanted this event to help students release their stress.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Jess Parnas, a senior business administration major and one of the people running the event, said she wanted students to have a fun and relaxing night.
“I hope that they have a time [to] destress and just have a fun time [because] finals are coming up and everyone is kind of stressed out,” Parnas said. “This [event] is like taking a break from studying and making a card or a bracelet and hanging out with people.”
Christiana Caprio hopes the cards can brighten up the patients’ holiday season.
Jennifer Portorreal | The Montclarion
Christiana Caprio, a junior exercise science major, hopes these holiday cards and crafts will make a positive impact on cancer patients.
“I just hope that this event will make others [feel] happy and included,” Caprio said. “Contributing to this event makes me feel really good because not everyone has something in life to look forward to and this is just something that can make them very happy.”
