Students at Warsaw Community Schools aren’t the only ones who get into the holiday spirit at this time of year. Administrators and staff at the WCS Educational Services Center participate in several charitable endeavors, with one standing tallest in the middle of the central office – the Tree of Warmth. According to Dawn Gagnon, WCS benefit coordinator, the administration building has always had a Christmas tree up since the building was built. Ten years ago, now-retired secretary Linda Russell suggested the ESC collect hats and gloves for needy children, which they could hang on the tree until it was time to give them to those who needed them. Later, Director of Special Services Deb Blatz said they also should put socks and sweats on the tree to give to children in need. “Each year we get enough items that we can send one copy paper box to each of the elementary schools,” Gagnon said. This year, the Happy Hatters of First Christian Church donated more than 100 hats to the Tree of Warmth. Retired WCS Transportation Director Della Swain is a member of the Happy Hatters. The central office also collects for Toys for Tots each year, which is added to the WCS collection. The entire WCS collection is then delivered during WNDU’s live broadcast, which was Dec. 7 this year. The central office collected 102 toys this year, Gagnon reported. Several years ago, the building’s staff also started collecting toiletries for the local homeless shelter. Gagnon also said the central office collected 23 cards for Hoosiers Helping Heroes, to be added to the more than 2,000 cards from Warsaw Community High School. Gagnon said the central office participated in that for the second year, and it was WCHS Assistant Principal Amanda Scroggs’ idea to begin that endeavor.
