The holiday season is rolling in, and it is time to share the gift of giving. In the midst of gift shopping, preparing meals and organizing holiday plans, it is important to remember those who may not receive the same opportunities. To help those in need, local fundraisers are organized to bring those less fortunate some holiday spirit. At West Essex High School, clubs also host their own holiday fundraisers, serving as a great opportunity for students to give to the community.
The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is hosting a Calendar Fundraiser from Nov. 18 to Dec. 19. Students can participate in creating portraits for children in Cambodia for The Memory Project, an organization dedicated to promoting intercultural kindness for the youth across the globe. Students are submitting their calendar(s) along with $20 per calendar to art teacher Erica Lescota, where all proceeds are being donated to The Memory Project.
“For some of these kids, it’s like the only thing they own,” Lescota said. “Then with each portrait, we also make a donation, which goes to their housing, education and food.”
The NAHS is also hosting a Holiday Ornament Fundraiser, where students can order custom ornaments with different themes. There are Christmas-themed, Hanukkah-themed, winter-themed and marbled designs, each with different options. All donations go to The Memory Project and senior scholarships.
“We do give a small scholarship to a member of the National Art Honor Society, usually an officer, who really works hard within the society,” Lescota said. “But mostly, it supports The Memory Project, which is the big donation we make.”
Another fundraiser in West Essex is the Holiday Toy Drive, hosted by the Key Club and National Honor Society. Toys are dropped off outside of the main office in the high school throughout various donation days. The donations vary for kids from 1-14 years old, and all gifts are new. The suggested toys are of various kinds and can be found on their flyer. Service hours are granted to participating students for every certain amount of toys.
“All the toys collected are going to go to local families around the area,” math teacher Carollo said. “I know a lot of families here have extra toys lying around that they don’t need or are unopened and unused. So, it’s just a great opportunity to give back in the community.”
Each year, the WE Care Club hosts a Holiday Wrapping Paper Drive, where they collect used paper, bows, packaging, etc. They recycle these resources for future use.
During the holiday season, many of these traditional present wrapping items go to waste, ending up in landfills and polluting local areas. Through this drive, the WE Care Club members produce the reduction of waste in the environment and ensures all wrapping supplies are used through a reusal process that reduces pollution.
To commemorate the holiday spirit, the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club hosted a holiday themed bake sale, featuring classical desserts with earnings going to an organization named Turning Point, which is a drug and alcohol addiction treatment service. Also, they will be handing out candy canes with inspirational messages to students and staff to give people an extra boost of encouragement before the holidays.
