Mikayla J., Chaminade Julienne High School
Service to Students
Christmas is a time for giving and being thankful for what we have. It is a time of recognizing what you have and what others do not. There are many children around the world who aren''t as fortunate as the people in my daily life. As a matter of fact there are many children in my own town that are are less fortunate than me. I find myself being ungrateful when I don''t get to go out with friends, but there are some kids that are grateful just to receive one full nutritious meal a day. The Student Council officers created a service project to bring joy to these children in our area. "Students in our communities deserve gifts and Christmas joy just as much as we do," the president of the council exclaimed and we all agreed.
St. Benedict''s is a school in the Dayton area that is just starting up. We filled stockings with small gifts for the students. We took a field trip to the school to deliver the gifts. Meeting the students made the trip worthwhile. "We are very blessed here," the principal smiled as she gave each of the students a bear hug. Their faces lit up when we walked through the door. "Can I give you a hug?" a little girl asked. Given their situations everyone was very positive and thankful for everything they did have. It surprised me. They had no idea who we were but they were overjoyed to meet us. Some of them shared the lists they made of what they would give to Jesus. "I would give Jesus a mattress, a toilet, and a trash can," one little boy said. They were objects that were important to him that he wanted to have, but he wanted Jesus to have them first. These students were in a wonderful school, but not in a wonderful life. Small Christmas gifts are miracles to them.
My eyes were opened during this experience. I did not know that people lived like this in a place so close to where I live. I did not know I could make a difference in someone''s life just in my own community. People always say to help the poor in third world countries, but they fail to see the people right in front of us. If we could start in our own neighborhoods, what a difference it could make. Those people could then help someone else in need. It would create a lasting effect of giving and sharing love for one another. Giving a small Christmas gift to the students really made me think about my life. It didn''t even feel like I was helping someone. It felt right. It felt like it was something that should just always be done. I had a smile on my face and I felt like I was making a difference. I may have helped those kids, but they helped me also. "We are very blessed here." This could not be more true.