Office of Admissions Secret Santas Stuff Empty “Stockings” for 8-year-old Demond and 9-year-old Melody

Again this year, the staff of SUNY Empire State College’s Office of Admissions has participated in the Saratoga County Children’s Committee’s Empty Stocking Project.

Empty Stocking matches sponsors, a.k.a. Secret Santas, with underprivileged children throughout Saratoga County.

Each child has his or her own wish list.

Secret Santas buy a gift, or gifts, selected from their matched child’s list, which the children’s committee uses to stuff each empty "stocking."

Secret Santas from the admissions office sponsored an 8-year-old boy, Demond, and a 9-year-old girl, Melody.

“Admissions has a great time shopping for ‘wish list’ items and, of course, we love that we will be making a child’s Christmas extra special this year,” said Jennifer D’Agostino, the college’s senior director of admissions.

Thanks to the admissions office staff, Demond and Melody will receive every item on their wish lists and more.

Pam Berube, an office assistant in the admissions office, began participating in Empty Stocking many years ago and, while talking with her colleagues, learned that others also participated individually.

Mary Veitch Austin, the office’s staff supervisor and an admissions advisor, followed in her mother’s footsteps, who had participated in the Empty Stocking project for a number of years.

As a result of intraoffice discussions, the entire office staff first participated as a group in 2016.

The Saratoga County Children’s Committee is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1947.

According to its website, the Children’s Committee is staffed by unpaid volunteers and nearly 100 percent of money donated to the organization is spent to provide relief to children in need.