As the Parent Scholar Program reflects on 2025, we would like to extend our gratitude to Fresno State’s faculty and staff for their generous support of the annual Parent Scholar Holiday Toy Drive distribution and gift-giving. Your partnership played a vital role in making this event possible and meaningful for the families we serve.

Through the collective efforts of our partners and community, we successfully served 122 Parent Scholars and provided holiday gifts for 349 children in under two hours. Families also received more than 30 Christmas trees and 100 grocery bags containing ingredients to prepare chili and cornbread, generously provided by the Amendola Family Student Cupboard. Together, these resources helped ensure that many families experienced warmth, nourishment and joy during the holiday season.

We are especially grateful to our partners who donated toys and funds, including Camarena Health, Fresno State Police Department, Clovis Rotary, Associated Students, Inc., the Staff Assembly Executive Committee, and more than 40 individual staff, faculty, alumni and community members who purchased gifts from our Parent Scholars’ wish list. Your generosity and commitment were instrumental in bringing this effort to life.

This year’s distribution not only reflected the strength of our community but also highlighted the growing need among student parents. With one in five college students raising children while pursuing higher education, the impact of your support cannot be overstated. We are deeply appreciative of your continued collaboration and look forward to advancing this work together in the year ahead.

For more information about the parent scholar program, visit our website here.