United Way & Target Make the Holidays Brighter for YouthBuild Students

Target stores have partnered with United Ways across the country to donate more than 2,700 decorated holiday trees, worth an estimated $500,000, through the Target Share-a-Tree Program. This year, Target in Bay Shore donated trees to United Way of Long Island’s YouthBuild students.

YouthBuild students also spent time holiday shopping for their children alongside Target and Suffolk Transportation Service employees in an effort to bring together workplace campaign donors and volunteers, with the young people benefitting from United Way’s community initiative.

“The contribution of Christmas trees to our students is truly invaluable,” said Elizabeth Morgan, Director of YouthBuild. “Many of our students and their families do not have the means to purchase holiday decorations. Bringing a decorated Christmas tree home to their loved ones will definitely help make their holiday season a little brighter.”

YouthBuild is a youth and community-development program that simultaneously addresses core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. At YouthBuild, low-income young people, ages 18 to 24, work towards their GEDs while learning job skills by building affordable Green housing for low- to moderate-income people, and participating in leadership development activities in their communities.

Nationally, Target partners with United Way to create opportunities for a better life for all people. Target and its Team Members pledged more than $14.3 million through its 2010 United Way workplace giving campaign.

Pictured: Alvin Moss, YouthBuild; Maureen Weldon, United Way of Long Island; Patrick Williams, Paula Mazariegos, Jasmine Chambers and Jason Jenkins, YouthBuild.