Sometimes re-gifting is just what's needed so students can experience the gift of giving.
Students at Hillcrest School will get the opportunity to play Santa once again this year as donations from the community help them learn to appreciate giving as much as receiving.
For the third year, the school is hosting their annual Christmas Store. The store works in the following ways: community members donating gifts, which the students can then select and give to someone they care about, like a parent or other family member.
Sara Pippus, Hillcrest's school community co-ordinator, is happy to see the Christmas Store return because it gives the students the chance to give a gift, something they may not otherwise be able to do. It teaches a lesson she hopes will carry on with them for years.
Beginning today, the students will start going through the store to select their gifts. The store runs from Dec. 12 to 14, and they are still accepting donations.
"As we get stuff in, we just add to what's there, and it means the kids get to go through another time," said Pippus.
After picking out a gift, it is wrapped at the school before the student takes it home to put under the tree.
Pippus said the gifts people donate to the Christmas Store can be anything, from articles for adults to things the students may give to a sibling. She noted toys are donated each year.
"It can be new or it can be in good used condition," she added. "All of the kids get to pick something and they get to give it away to somebody else. They pick out something for Grandma or Mom or Dad."
"They love it. That was the best part," said Pippus in regards to the how the students have accepted the store. "We weren't sure how it would go over. Some of the kids are living in pretty high-needs situations, where even for them to look at stuff and not be able to pick it out for themselves was hard. I think for most of them, it was such a nice feeling to know that they could go home and give something to someone without having to find money to do it because that's taking away from their family budget."
The Christmas Store started as an initiative of the school's spirit club.
"The lady who was in charge of our spirit club at the time had heard of it somewhere else and we just adopted it, thought it would be a great thing for the kids to be able to do," said Pippus.
The students will be selecting gifts over the rest of the week and any last-minute donations may be dropped off at the school.
