Allie Neugeboren, Features Editor
@alneugiecourant
Through donations and volunteering, the New Canaan community helps make this holiday season more enjoyable for underprivileged families. A number of charities including, New Canaan Charity League, Saint Aloysius Youth Group, Service League of Boys, the high school’s math department, and Pura Vida have dedicated time to make the holidays festive for those less fortunate.
Senior Grace Manges, enjoys the opportunities the New Canaan Charity League (NCL) offers her through their annual Holiday Social. “We have one giant holiday celebration, where 7th-12th graders get together, and we bring homemade cookies, decorate a tree, and bring a certain product, whether it’s toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, or food, and create packages to give to underprivileged kids,” she said.
Grace believes charity is a great way to spend the holidays. “The holidays are all about being together and enjoying life with your families, but it’s also about making things special for people who don’t have presents or the festivities that we have. It definitely brings out the giving attitude,” she said.
Senior Russell Walker contributed to giving back this holiday season by attending Saint Aloysius’ annual trip to Kentucky. “The 8th graders that are going to be confirmed make Christmas stockings that have toys, toothbrushes, and essential things, and then the high schoolers go to Kentucky and deliver about 100-200 stockings to actual families,” he said. “It’s a really special feeling to spend time and play with the kids who receive the stocking, knowing that we brought probably the only gift they are going to get this Christmas.”
Junior Grant Carlson donates his time with the Service League of Boy’s by volunteering for the Exchange Club at Kiwanis Park. “This is the first year I’m doing it, and I do it with my dad. Everyone else does it with their parents too, and we sell Christmas trees,” he said. “I find it rewarding to give back, especially during the holidays because it puts me in a festive spirit.”
Math teacher Ms. Marhefki has been a teacher here for over ten years and has seen the Math Department’s tradition of collecting gifts for Santa’s Helpers first hand since, retired math teacher, Ms. Guda started it. Every year the math teachers accumulate gifts to donate to a sisterhood of nuns in Spanish Harlem who hand out the only gifts some of these children will get this year.
Ms. Marhefki stresses the importance of participating and contributing to ‘Santa’s Helpers’. “I think it’s such a nice opportunity to give back and think of other others less fortunate,” she said. “I do this and donate to Toys for Tots, which is another amazing organization, I think it is a great way to give back.”
Ms. Marhefki doesn’t offer extra credit for participating, but finds that her students have their own desire to donate. “The people in this building, school, and community are just so giving. When you mention it, people just line up to help out and contribute,” she said.
Donations close December 12th, but if presents are accidentally brought a day late, Ms. Marhefki makes sure they are not gone to waste and gives them to Toys for Tots.
Senior Jenny Ceci promotes Pura Vida’s annual food packing event as a great way to do your part in giving back. “We fundraise for the end of the year food packing event when we pack about 250,000 meals and send those around the country, and donate to Feed my Starving Children which is an organization that donates food across the world to hungry children and families,” she said.
Jenny finds Pura Vida’s tradition of the Holiday Mailbox Brigade a great way to get in the holiday spirit. “People send in a donation and then, we decorate their mailbox with fresh greenery and a red bow,” she said. “Participating or donating is a great way to get to know people as well as help others,” she added.
