Students are giving back this year and shopping for Christmas for Kids or Angel Tree. Christmas for Kids is a non-religious and non-profit charity program to provide Christmas presents for every kid. Angel Tree is a program that connects parents in prison with their kids by having gifts delivered to them.

Both programs benefit from volunteers throughout the community including several clubs.

“I heard about Christmas for Kids on the radio several years ago and I decided that I wanted it to be a project for Spanish Honorary.  We usually adopt at least two children and some senior citizens,” said Spanish Honorary sponsor Lori Nielsen.

The clubs use money from previous fundraisers to spend on the recipient.

“Every year the Spanish classes sell cookie dough as a fundraiser,” said Nielsen. “We use some of that money to buy the gifts.”

Spanish Honorary shopped for two children in Christmas for Kids and four elderly people in the Adopt-A-Senior program.

Many club members are very willing to help out for the cause.

“I’m so blessed daily. These kids need things that we normally take for granted,” said junior Becca Buterbaugh. “Christmas is all about giving.”

Buterbaugh feels every club should be a part of Christmas for Kids and Angel Tree because it helps out the community in a great way and makes children happy.

“I went shopping for three clubs: Youth to Youth, Spanish Honorary, and BETA club,” she said.

When people reach beyond themselves to help others, it benefits more than the receiver.

“I learned about the kids in the program and they need a lot. The more people who can help them, the better. They want things that we think of as every day necessities.  This means a lot to these families,” said Buterbaugh.

Thanks to the people who give back and help these kids during the holiday season, they will wake up to presents on Christmas morning.