CAZENOVIA — This holiday season, the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC) and CazCares food pantry and clothing closet are partnering once again to support local families in need through the “Giving Tree” initiative.
This year, Giving Trees have been positioned at 13 participating retailers throughout the Cazenovia business district. Each tree features ornaments labeled with gift requests from children of all ages. Customers are encouraged to select an ornament, purchase the listed item, and donate it to help make a holiday wish come true.
“We start on Nov. 1 and are hoping that at the Christmas Walk on Dec. 3 families will drop off a gift at Community Bank when they visit Santa,” said Barbara Houghton, Community Bank district manager and GCACC’s Giving Tree chair. “They can also drop off gifts at the store they picked the tag up from.”
According to Houghton, Santa will be at Community Bank immediately after the tree lighting, and a mailbox will be positioned at the bank for children to drop off their letters to the North Pole.
The deadline for gift drop-offs is Dec. 6.
All donated items will be delivered to CazCares for distribution to local families.
According to CazCares Client Services Director GiGi Redmond, last year’s Giving Tree assisted 287 kids in 110 families.
Houghton noted that this is the third year the GCACC and local businesses have worked together on the Giving Tree initiative.
“This is truly a community effort,” she said. “This is my favorite event I volunteer for. It just makes me happy. I chair this event for the chamber and everyone at the Community Bank office in Cazenovia gets so excited to be a part of it. We work very hard to ask everyone to take a tag and support CazCares. Last year we had about six carloads; our community is the best.”
Gift tags are available at 20|EAST, AmeriCU Credit Union, The Brae Loch Inn, Cazenovia Abroad, Cazenovia Jewelry, the Cazenovia Public Library, Community Bank, J.D. Hunter Home, Lillie Bean, the Lincklaen House, Miori Martial Arts, The Brewster Inn, and the GCACC Office.
The GCACC moved to its new location behind the Catherine Cummings Theatre at 95 Albany St., Suite C, in Oct. 2020.
“The new location, [positioned] right in the center of town, is perfect for our mission,” said GCACC Executive Director Anna-Marie Neuland. “Please come see me at the new chamber office or visit our website for more information. Come visit Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The chamber also offers a monthly newsletter that you can find on our website.”
For more information on the GCACC, email [email protected] or visit cazenovia.com.
