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In the Spirit of the Holiday Season Passaic County Technical Vocational Schools Students Give Back to Their Community

The students at PCTVS have been hard at work this holiday season! Through toy drives, clothing drives, food drives, and volunteer efforts, students at Passaic County Technical Institute and the STEM Academy helped those in need by giving back to their community and lending helping hands.

The season of giving back began with the annual Wreaths Across America donations. The PCTVS students assisted in the Wreaths Across America initiative to donate wreaths commemorating soldiers who fought hard for our country. Students from all grade levels and organizations including the Boys & Girls State students volunteered their time along with local community members on Wreaths Across America Saturday where 4,500 wreaths were laid on veteran graves.


Students holding holiday wreaths.
ROTC students salute in cemetary.

The spirit of the holiday moved through the halls of PCTVS as the Student Council and Interact Club held a food drive to support local families in need. Through this initiative, students and faculty members collected well over 2,000 pounds of food items from donations. The canned and non-perishable food items for those in need were donated to Echo CUMAC Food Bank in Paterson.


Students standing behind bags of food that will donated.
Students organizing food.

Several student organizations collaborated to bring joy to children worldwide this holiday season through the internationally recognized Samaritan's Purse program: Operation Christmas Child. TI@ti peer leaders, American Sign Language club, World Language Honor Society, and Tri-M Honor Society members assembled over 300 shoeboxes filled with gifts, including toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to be delivered to children in need around the world.


Students waving with wrapped presents.
Students and staff member pose for a picture.
Students sitting and posing with wrapped presents on a table in front of them.

Students of the PCTVS Leaders Emerging Among Peers (LEAP) club held a toy drive for underprivelaged children. Toys collected benefitted children ages 6 months to 17 years of the Father English community in Paterson. In total 418 toys were collected!


Students holding donated toys in front of Christmas cabin set.
Two students posing while holding toys in front of donated toys and Christmas cabin set.

PCTVS continued to work hard in their giving as members of The PCTVS Book Club, American Sign Language Club, and History Club gave their time to participate in NJ Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) Wrapathon. Club members wrapped gifts, and made holiday cards, and decorations for Paterson families to enjoy. The NJCDC will host a celebration on Christmas Eve where they will distribute gift boxes to over 500 families. The three clubs will continue to work with NJCDC throughout the new year on various community service projects


Students and Staff sitting and standing around a Christmas carpet.
Students, around a table, wrapping the donated toys with Holiday wrapping paper.

While the spirit of the holiday season runs high, PCTVS is always looking for ways to lend helping hands. After the holidays the student’s philanthropic endeavors will continue. In January, the students of the PCTVS Rho Kappa Honor Society will be hosting a coat drive for those in need. Students of the Passaic County Technical Institute National Honor Society will host a sock and toiletry drive for the Passaic County Domestic and Sexual Violence Center located in Paterson. PCTVS takes pride in its students and their selflessness and willingness to help others.