As the holiday season approaches, many organizations embrace the spirit of helping their community through food drives, toy collections and gift giving. Alton High’s Biology Club is giving back this year through a student-run Christmas Box Drive.
The program will take the rest of November to collect and create wrapped gifts for elementary students in the Alton School District in need of resources. Program members plan on delivering the packages in early to mid-December, ensuring the students have them by the winter holiday season.
“We’ll collect boxes and items to fill them and bring them to Mrs. Laaker’s room,” senior and program leader Stella McClaine said. “After we make the gifts we’re going to find elementary schools that have students in need and give those students the gifts and supplies.”
Each box contains a variety of items including fun gifts and practical products. The boxes contain both school resources, like writing utensils and health items like toothbrushes, toothpaste or socks. A “wow” item, such as dolls, toy cars, sports balls and more, is also present in every gift.
“I think that it’s nice to have a variety of things, toys but also supplies, in the boxes so that the kids get fun items to make their holidays special but also things they can use everyday that their parents may need help providing,” program member Nadja Kapetanovich said.
The Christmas Box Drive provides a way for high schoolers to help promote accessibility to resources for those who cannot easily acquire such items. The program members all said that they are very proud of the joy and resources they will be giving to Alton students this year.
“I think that our drive is really going to help kids have good Christmas experiences while having the necessities they need,” program member Riana Grable said.
