By Jessica Able, Record Staff Writer
Students from around the Archdiocese of Louisville prepared for Christmas by giving their time, talent and treasure to several charities during Advent.
Among those helping the needy families this Christmas season were:
-Holy Trinity School’s kindergartners, who donated toiletries to the Schuhmann Social Service Center, an outreach of St. Martin of Tours Church. The children stuffed the donations into pairs of socks in celebration of the season.
-Sixth-graders at Notre Dame Academy raised more than $2,700 by writing persuasive letters to friends and family in an effort to buy Christmas gifts for children in need for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s “Gifts from the Heart” program. The students shopped for the gifts and were able to purchase presents for 20 children. Remaining funds were donated to Kosair Children’s Hospital.
-Students in Trinity High School’s Green Cross Service Club assisted in the distribution of gifts at Wayside
Christian Mission’s annual Christmas Store on Dec. 15. In addition to Christmas gifts, individuals seeking aid were also able to select clothes, toiletries, blankets and food.
-St. Rita School eighth-graders worked with Cross Catholic Outreach to send 33 gift boxes to children in Guatemala. The “Box of Joy” program was “created to respond to the needs of children throughout the world who would otherwise not get a gift at Christmas,” a news release from the school said.
The St. Rita students constructed boxes, collected and organized items and filled the boxes. The entire school contributed by donating small toys, toiletries, hard candies and small items of clothing. Students also raised money to cover the cost of shipping and to support the work of the organization — about $9 per box. Cross Catholic Outreach is a ministry recognized by the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla.
-St. Xavier High School Art Honor Society students set up and decorated a Christmas tree on Dec. 12 for the retired Xaverian Brothers who reside in Ryken House on the campus of St. X.
-Trinity High School worked with Community Catholic Center to provide Christmas gifts to children. The student’s efforts resulted in 58 gifts for children from 28 families. Members of the Trinity community met the children when they delivered the gifts to Community Catholic Center on Dec. 15 at a Christmas party.
-Students from Trinity also helped unload, sort and stock food baskets for the Schuhmann Social Service Center on Dec. 14. The food baskets will be delivered to families in need this Christmas.
