Operation Santa Claus 2023
Donation protected
It’s that time of year where my students and I are planning and preparing for Operation Santa Claus! This year, we are walking by faith as we intend to give gifts to every child at Hidden Valley Elementary School, (which we’ve given to for over 15 years), but we are also adding two new schools to our cause: Berry Hill Elementary School in Charlotte, NC, as well as Gillespie Park Elementary School in Greensboro NC. We are working with our Olympic alumni who are now students at North Carolina A&T University, UNCG and UNCC to help us organize and deliver the gifts, making this our biggest effort yet!
The children we are serving this year are spectacular. Brilliant, beautiful and poised to shape our world in the best ways! However socioeconomic challenges in their communities are adding extra hardships this year. The number of homeless children, as well as those who families’ are struggling in heartbreaking ways, at all three of these schools, is higher than we’ve ever seen, and the facilities of one of the schools are beyond what I believe any child should have to learn in. I personally believe that intentional acts of kindness create moments of hope, that can be the turning point for anyone’s story. That is what we try to provide with our act of giving through Operation Santa Claus.
Olympic High School is very diverse, with many of our students experiencing tremendous need also, but they come together to buy gift bags, tissue paper, materials to make cards, and even candy, to help make the gifts for the over 1,800 kids for this year’s project. What we need support with is buying the toys for each child, which is why we’re asking for donations.
To ensure we can give a meaningful gift to all 1,800 kids at Hidden Valley, Berry Hill, and Gillespie Park, we need at least $5,000. We want to say thank you in advance for helping support this effort, and for helping provide a powerful experience in giving and selflessness for my high school students as they do the hard work preparing these gifts, designing games, and delivering them to each child. This project has changed the lives of thousands of children over the years, and we are moving in faith believing that when you are doing a good thing, a way will be made.
The children we are serving this year are spectacular. Brilliant, beautiful and poised to shape our world in the best ways! However socioeconomic challenges in their communities are adding extra hardships this year. The number of homeless children, as well as those who families’ are struggling in heartbreaking ways, at all three of these schools, is higher than we’ve ever seen, and the facilities of one of the schools are beyond what I believe any child should have to learn in. I personally believe that intentional acts of kindness create moments of hope, that can be the turning point for anyone’s story. That is what we try to provide with our act of giving through Operation Santa Claus.
Olympic High School is very diverse, with many of our students experiencing tremendous need also, but they come together to buy gift bags, tissue paper, materials to make cards, and even candy, to help make the gifts for the over 1,800 kids for this year’s project. What we need support with is buying the toys for each child, which is why we’re asking for donations.
To ensure we can give a meaningful gift to all 1,800 kids at Hidden Valley, Berry Hill, and Gillespie Park, we need at least $5,000. We want to say thank you in advance for helping support this effort, and for helping provide a powerful experience in giving and selflessness for my high school students as they do the hard work preparing these gifts, designing games, and delivering them to each child. This project has changed the lives of thousands of children over the years, and we are moving in faith believing that when you are doing a good thing, a way will be made.
Organizer
Ashley Alston
Organizer
Charlotte, NC