With the holidays and winter around the corner, some students may not be the happiest. Some students don’t have a great home life and can hardly get the supplies that they need. That’s one way Park’s counselors come in handy!
“For the holidays that are coming up, I do this thing called a weekend food bag program. And when the holidays come around, we’re going to take those big breaks and I will make food bags,” said Ms. Unique. “I’ll send out a flyer or a student will come to my attention and I will add them to my list. When they’re added to my list, during the next break I will give them a food bag that should hopefully last them during the break.”
Many kids are not lucky to have enough food during the holidays and Ms. Unique helps these students by giving them food bags. She said that it is probably one of the biggest supports that the school offers.
“Some more things we do with the holidays rolling around, we will put students on a Christmas wish list with various companies and organizations in the area. That way they’ll get Christmas presents because some of our students’ families can’t afford to pay for that kind of stuff. The same thing with Thanksgiving around the corner, we will add them to certain lists. Certain law firms will ask [about] any students/families who are in need and they’ll make sure that they get turkeys and other Thanksgiving food items,” said Ms. Unique.
It is not just Christmas they help out with but also Thanksgiving so students are able to have what they need during these times.
“If there is a need, I may not know about it right now. But if a student comes up to me and says that they don’t have this and could I get that for them while on break, I will do that and figure out whatever it is. It could be something like when the break comes around and they don’t have a ride, and I will try to help them and get them a bus pass or something. There is no limit to what we will do as far as when a student goes on break,” said Ms. Unique.
“We have Santa’s Secret Shop here at the high school. Every teacher gets a card and they get to recommend a student who they feel deserves it, or maybe a student who looks like they need a little more Christmas spirit. Selected students get a card and they get to visit Santa’s Secret Shop. As a counselor, if we see someone who may not be getting a lot for the holidays, we have extra cards we are able to give out for that reason,” said Mrs. Short.
The counselors have a program called Santa’s Secret Shop that helps students who aren’t that fortunate around the holidays.
“We have a lot of agencies that offer support to our students. If we know of a student who is not going to have a good Christmas, we will reach out to any agency to make sure they have a good holiday,” said Dr. Maloney.
Some of our own clubs will ask to sponsor kids during the holiday to help out. The Key Club is one that helps out.
When the holidays come around and you feel as if you aren’t going to have what you need, reach out. There are many counselors and teachers who are willing to help, but they won’t know unless you speak up and ask. Have a great holiday and remember there are always people who will have your back.
