NEWBURGH, NY — Mount Saint Mary’s campus ministry program collected more than 700 toys to give to the Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster this year.

Catholic Charities will work with social workers and case managers to distribute the toys to children in need throughout the service area.

“This incredible outpouring of support from our friends at The Mount is a blessing to Catholic Charities and the families we serve,” said Kristin Jensen, chief advancement officer at Catholic Charities. “Each year, student volunteers from campus ministry work diligently to ensure that hundreds of children in our community, who would otherwise go without, awake to find a gift waiting for them Christmas morning.”

The campus ministry program at Mount Saint Mary College has been organizing an annual toy drive in conjunction with Catholic Charities for nearly a decade. The non-profit agency’s staff identifies families in need and arranges distribution of the toys in time for Christmas, regardless of race or religion.

 Throughout the Christmas season, Catholic Charities hosts a number of collections in order to help friends and neighbors in its three-county service area. In addition to the toy drive, throughout the year Catholic Charities participates in drives for coats and hygiene items, an adopt-a-family program and giving trees at multiple parish locations.

Anyone interested in making a gift or cash donation to any of these programs, contact 845/294-5124, ext. 303 or online through Catholic Charities’ website donation page at www.cccsos.org.