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Schools

Students Shop for Needy Classmates

Student Council members fulfill the needs of 12 GHS families for the holidays

Don't let the big houses and upscale shops fool you. These are tough times for many families in Geneva—so many that it was difficult for the Geneva Counseling and Advising Office to identify just a few this year for the Student Council to sponsor for their annual holiday shopping effort.

Geneva High School Student Council makes it one of their missions to assist a charity each year during the holidays. For many years, they purchased gifts for the Humanitarian Service Project and Tri-City Family Services.

About five years ago, after learning there were people in need at school, the students decided to support their own. The Counseling and Advising Office identifies the families and contacts them for their permission and for wish lists of each family member. To protect their identities, the families are assigned a number, and names are removed as the lists are prepared and handed over to the Student Council. Fundraisers are organized throughout the year to pay for all the gifts.

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Kari Mannion, a senior, co-chaired the shopping last year and is currently the vice president of activities on the Student Council Executive Board. She has shopped each year and even joined the fun in middle school the year that the student councils partnered and shopped together.

"I think it makes it more personable instead of helping people you never get to meet on the other side of the world," she said. "It makes you feel good that you are helping people in your community."

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Even though this was freshman, Anna Dispensa's first year she was so eager to get involved she volunteered to co-chair the committee.

"I thought it would be fun. I've done things like this before, and I wanted to do it again. Many people don't think there is a need here. There are a lot of people in need at the school. "

Six of the 12 families simply asked for groceries so the students purchased gift cards from superstores and received meal card donations from McDonald's and Jersey Mike's so the families can go out for dinner.

While wrapping up the gifts, Mannion summed it up the best.

"They get nicer presents than I do!" she said.

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