By: Danielle (High School Intern)
Each year Christmas is celebrated throughout the world in different ways with different traditions and at different times. Many people go through the holidays without a second thought about what goes on in numerous third world countries. This year, two Northwest Christian High school students aspired to change that. Seniors Kami Bates and Janna Salo, members of Northwest Christian’s newly-founded National Honor Society, had a vision to help those in need.
“This year the students have shown excellent leadership ability – our president in particular, Janna Salo,” said the National Honor Society advisor. “They have taken initiative to do their best and take on the responsibility of numerous fundraisers to help the school and community.”
Starting in 2009 with less than 15 students, National Honor Society has grown to a committed group of 28 students, eager to give back to not only the surrounding community, but also the world around them.
“Kami and I wanted to give the school a chance to help people we don’t normally think about outside of our community,” Salo said.
With a little research, Bates and Salo found an international relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, which sponsors Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a convenient way to help a child in need in a foreign country, receive a Christmas gift.
The steps were simple for National Honor Society: get an empty shoe box, determine whether you’re sending it to a boy or girl, pick an age group, fill it with a variety of inexpensive gifts, include seven dollars for shipping, and drop it off at a local collection center.
Once Bates and Salo had captured this idea, they started to advertise.
Posters were hung around the school, announcements were made daily, and they didn’t hesitate to invite hordes of their peers. They encouraged students to bring their own shoe box, the gifts, and seven dollars for shipping, and get down to business.
“We wanted to do this in order to reach out to people in need, take our minds off ourselves, and provide an opportunity for Honor Society to come together as a body and be united,” Bates said.
The club set an original goal of sending 30 boxes off for the winter holiday season, and wasted no time in working towards that goal. On November 24, immediately after school, the gym was taken over by Christmas. The soft sound of Christmas music was playing, tables were decorated, walls had Christmas lights, and everything was ready to go.
Christmas lights and hot chocolate created an amazing environment to complete Operation Christmas Child,” senior JeAnna Lombardo said. “Words cannot express the priceless feeling of blessing a child in need.”
The turnout was fantastic; 35 students attended the event and they sent off 46 boxes. Instead of being sent off to a chosen destination, the boxes will be shipped to various regions around the world, helping the kids who need a little holiday cheer the most.
Not only was this a wonderful opportunity to help children around the world have a special Christmas, it was also a way to unify the Northwest Christian student body.
