SPANISH HONOR SOCIETY ADOPTS FAMILY

By: Gabby Zeeman

Spanish Honor Society is helping the community once again by adopting a family this upcoming holiday season.

In past years, Spanish Honor Society donated stocking stuffers and filler gifts, such as coloring books and toy trucks, for those in need.

Continuing the tradition, the club adopted a family for the second year in a row and found it very rewarding to provide a family with a scrumptious Christmas dinner.

“On behalf of Spanish Honor Society, it feels great to be able to give to others that we don’t know on a personal level. Adopting a disadvantaged child or family for the Christmas season can inspire a sense of giving in an organization or community,” senior Braeden Keith said. “With all the negativity in the world, it’s nice to know that people are looking out for each other.”

The adoption process is simple, Slater Family Network assigns an anonymous family living within the Slate Belt to Spanish Honor Society and the club takes it from there.

In order to make an unforgettable Christmas, members of the club bring in different types of food. Whether that be side dishes (corn, potatoes, mixed veggies) or the main course (ham, turkey, etc.), Spanish Honor Society provides an entire Christmas dinner for its family.

“I love the idea of knowing that as a group, we can benefit others by doing such small individual tasks,” senior Tatum Strohe said. “By each of us bringing in something small, we were able to provide an entire Christmas dinner that they would otherwise not be able to enjoy like most families could.”

All club members had approximately one month to bring in the meal essentials. After December 4, the food was delivered to Slater Family Network, who gave it to the family.

Spanish Honor Society couldn’t have accomplished this without the help from club advisor – Señora Menio. She came up with the idea of adopting a family while also encouraging her members to participate in community service with PUMP – a food drive in Portland that helps feed families year-round.

“We try to do community service as much as we can with PUMP because they’re connected with Slater Family Network and are super generous when it comes to giving to those of need,” senior Kaley Casagrande said.

During the holiday season, club members find joy in helping others during their time of need.

“I love how we were able to positively impact the family by providing them with a meal to enjoy on their holiday with their family and friends,” senior Amber Fernandez-Tierney said.

Overall, Spanish Honor Society is a charitable and solicitous organization that is open to providing for the community at all times of the year.

SGA LIGHTENING THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN THROUGH FILLER GIFTS

By: Katie Snyder

Student Government Association (SGA) donated filler gifts to the Slater Family Network, providing some added joy  for families in need in time for the holidays from late November through December 1.

Filler gifts are small toys that SGA donates to children who are in need of gifts for Christmas.

“We donated gifts so that other kids have the opportunity to enjoy gifts on Christmas,” freshman Emma Rambo said.

SGA members received a list of potential gifts, and those who wished to participate brought in items for donation.

SGA provided three large cartons of small gifts, some of which included small toys, coloring books, play-doh, crafts, and toy cars.

“My favorite part about this is making sure that the children could have a good Christmas, and being able to help those in need,” senior Emily Kolankiewicz said.

Filler gifts are one of the many examples of how SGA helps out the community. By donating gifts to the Slater Family Network, they put dozens of smiles on the children’s faces on Christmas morning.