A Wonderful way to give to less fortunate

For the last 40 years, MHCC’s “Something Wonderful Project” has given back to East County families in need. This year, the students, staff, and volunteers involved are helping to carry on the tradition.

This organization reaches out to families in the area with students who attend Mt. Hood. The main inspiration for Something Wonderful came from the teaching staff, who recognized those students who were struggling financially. The need for basic necessities such as household goods, winter clothes, children’s toys, and food often becomes quite an obstacle to overcome. With prices rising around the holiday season, it is difficult to make it through the winter on little-to-no income.

Eager to help make the best for the holidays, Mt. Hood employees Rich Duval and Katrinia McNeal teamed up to coordinate the project this year.

“Our goal is to help 50 families… to match as many families with sponsors” as possible,” said Duval, manager of MHCC’s Project YESS youth workforce program. The organizers will know after Thanksgiving if they have met their goal, he said.

The Something Wonderful Project is not the average Christmas drive. It focuses specifically on the Mt. Hood community, those people involved in programs such as Head Start, ABE/GED, and Project YESS.

The group encourages as many people as possible to get involved. Duval and McNeal, who is administrative assistant for MHCC’s Business & Computer Information Systems, are still looking for individuals, clubs, school departments, and even outside organizations to help “adopt” families.

 Duval said, “The more sponsors we get, the more families we can help.” Giving to those most in need not only helps to lessen the burden on the sponsors during the holidays, but is also “helps these families and their children feel the spirit of giving and will hopefully brighten their holidays, when this tends to be a very stressful time in people’s lives,” he said.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact McNeal at (503) 491-7515.