LAPEL — A pair of jeans, a shirt, a coat and a pair of boots probably aren’t the highest priorities on most children’s Christmas lists, but they are necessities needed for everyday life, and they are items some children don’t have.
Staff and students at Lapel’s high school and middle school are working together with community members to help lighten the load for families in need this holiday season through an Angel Tree project.
The Angel Tree holiday assistance program connects people wishing to help a Lapel child or family in need.
The program at Lapel High School is being sponsored by the school’s National Honor Society. Teacher Denise Hersberger-Gray sponsors the group and said she is proud of the work the students are doing.
They’re part of a much larger program in the district providing necessities, generally clothing, to the children of local families in need.
Each school erects a Christmas tree with red or green tags and angels representing children. The tags specify the gender, age and size of the item needed.
Students, staff, school clubs and community groups then take the number of tags they want and acquire the item(s) for the child.
The Lapel community generally is very charitable, Hersberger-Gray said. Some staff members simply donate money, allowing her to go out and buy many of the items the children need.
“People look forward to giving,” Hersberger-Gray said. “They’re always asking us, ‘When will the tree go up?’”
The trees were installed before Thanksgiving break and remain up for a couple weeks.
The effort serves not only to help people in need but also helps students understand there are people in the community who need assistance from time to time, Hersberger-Gray said.
“It’s important for the students to understand there is a need out there and if they have more and can give, they should,” Hersberger-Gray said.
At Lapel High School, National Honor Society students will collect items bought through Angel Tree and take them to the middle school, where Stacy Boles, the school counselor, will make sure the gifts get to families.
Boles brought the Angel Tree project idea to the district from the Hamilton Heights school corporation several years ago, she said.
The program has grown since its first year — increased awareness of the project has made it easier to provide for more families.
In addition to clothing, food, toys and stocking stuffers are now among the donations to help make the holidays more enjoyable for families.
A form letter is emailed or sent home to parents of students on the free and reduced lunch list to see which family might need help.
Parents are asked to complete the form if they would like assistance and have their names provided to outside organizations for support.
The following groups are donating this year or have in years past: Secret Families, Trinity Church, Ford Street Church, Kemerly’s Outreach, Lapel Community Association, The Eagles, Lapel High School National Honor Society (as a service project), Lapel High School faculty and staff, Lapel Middle School Honor Society, Lapel Middle School faculty and staff, and local families and businesses.