Guilford Youth Board Raised $3,200 For Its Teen Gift Drive

GUILFORD, CT — Kids helping kids.

To say that teenagers in need is an under-served population is perhaps a vast understatement. At gift-giving holiday times, toy donation boxes fill up. But for in-need teenagers, there's a lot of close-to-empty stockings.

So when the Guilford Youth & Family Services Youth Board, comprised of students from Adams Middle School and Guilford High School, held their Teen Gift Drive, well, they get it, so they really looked out for their peers.

In a press release written by the Youth Board themselves, they explain how this holiday season was "different than usual."

"The Teen Gift Drive is an annual event that collects gifts before the holidays for families with Teens in Need (a population identified by the group as overlooked). To ensure everyone’s safety, the Gift Drive developed into a Gift Card Drive this year, and because we were unable to hold an in-person drive, the group reached out to local organizations for donations. Between generous donations from community members, a collaboration with Guilford High School (organizing a giving tree), and businesses like Guilford Texaco that went above and beyond to ensure all needs were met this year, the Gift Card Drive raised $2,200. A grant was also awarded by The Guilford Foundation, to help offset the fact that we could not hold our typical in-person drive, bringing our grand total $3,200. Our youth board would like to thank you for supporting them in helping those in need this holiday season!"