TYNGSBORO — 2023 marked the eighth annual giving tree at Innovation Academy Charter School to benefit the Thom Anne Sullivan Center of Lowell. From Nov. 13-Dec. 8, IACS collected over 360 gifts to be donated.
This fall at IACS’ community service day, students created “mittens,” which listed gift requests made by families being served by the Thom Anne Sullivan Center. As gifts were donated, the Interact Club assisted with organizing and sorting the gifts. In addition, sophomore Theo Zegdoun — who volunteers at the Dracut Council on Aging — placed some mittens on a giving tree there, and organized and oversaw the collection of gifts there.
The giving tree was initially started back in 2015 by Emma Chaitin (IACS Class of 2017), through her internship work at the Thom Anne Sullivan Center. During her internship, she created a present drive to help the families connected to this organization. Since then, the school has rallied around this tradition.
The Thom Anne Sullivan Center in Lowell is a nonprofit, early intervention center for infants, toddlers, and their families. In addition to the work the organization does for children and families with early developmental challenges and risks, they also do a lot of community outreach throughout Lowell and the surrounding communities.