As the holiday season comes to a close, so does our 26th annual Holiday Outreach Program. Since its inception in 1998, our program has strived to brighten the holidays for residents of the neighborhoods and communities surrounding the Washington University Medical campuses. Fueled by the generous donations of WashU and BJC departments along with several private donors, we were once again able to provide household essentials, utility assistance, groceries, and gifts for local families and seniors in need.

This year the program saw well over $59,000 in total donations, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.  Of that, we were able to direct over $17,000 to increase service impact for seniors by serving more than 100 seniors through partnership with the St. Louis Housing Authority in addition to our seniors in surrounding neighborhoods. Each senior received a thoughtfully prepared gift bag filled with household and personal care essentials, as well as gift cards to assist with grocery shopping.