The holiday season is a time for joy and cheer, and for many children it’s a time to receive presents; however, for some families buying presents for their children is not feasible. The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s (ASUNM) Community Experience is trying to alleviate that issue through their annual Giving Tree.

Giving Tree is designed to give presents to children whose families are not able to afford them this holiday season. This year, ASUNM Community Experience partnered with UNM Children’s Hospital, CASA Q and Albuquerque Public Schools Title 1 to gather what gifts are needed this holiday season.

From now until Dec. 9, the community is able to go to the Student Union Building Atrium and choose a candy cane off the tree. Each candy cane will include a tag with a gift listed on it. From there, participants are able to buy the present on the tag, and the present will go directly to a child in need.

“The holiday season is a time to give back. It breaks my heart that there are children in our community that may go without a present this season,” says ASUNM Chief of Staff Jacob Silva. “That’s why I am donating this year.”

Community Experience is asking that all participants deliver the unwrapped gift and tag to the ASUNM Office in the Student Union Building in Room 1016 by Dec. 9 at 5 p.m.  

Community Experience is a student-led community service organization that gives back to all of Albuquerque. Throughout the year, Community Experience hosts a variety of events including working at food banks and cleaning up UNM’s campus through Fall Frenzy and Spring Storm.

For more information, follow @asunm_ce on Instagram.