On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the National Honors Society (NHS) at East hosted an event in collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse called Operation Christmas Child. The project aims to aid kids in need during the holiday season in the form of gifts.

With the help of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian humanitarian organization, students packed shoeboxes full of goodies depending on the kid’s age range and gender. They got to pack everything from school supplies to small toys.

Vice President of the NHS, Addison Parks, shared how the club was introduced to Operation Christmas Child.

“I actually got this idea from my mom who participates in it yearly,” Parks said.

Sharing the idea with the NHS proved to be a good idea; in the end, students filled about 38 boxes Tuesday afternoon, with over 100 participants.

Mrs. Colleen Calvey, the sponsor for the NHS, explained how this was a necessary activity for the club’s members.

“Being an NHS member means not only are you good at your academics, not only are you a leader in school, but you’re also doing service acts, whether that’s peer tutoring during lunch or doing something in a community with the food pantry.” Calvey said.

A member of the National Honors Society is a good student in all aspects, from academics to generosity. The two values go hand and hand in making somebody a good person.

The members had a very broad set of guidelines to go off of in terms of setting up their gifts, which gave them the freedom to enjoy making the gift.

“Students get to pick their groups, they get to pick the age of the child. They get to go shopping, have some fun,” Calvey said.

Of course, this event isn’t just beneficial to the NHS members. It’s also beneficial to the families receiving the gifts.

Senior Brandon Kwong, a student involved in the NHS, advocated for how important Operation Christmas Child is for people everywhere.

“As a society, we should help each other out and support those who need it,” Kwong said. “This mission was a great way to give our services out to those in need.”

When looking at the big picture, this operation has lifted the spirits of many kids around the world. This makes it so Christmas joy is given to families who might’ve not been able to enjoy it otherwise. Needless to say, the NHS is making a positive difference for people across the world. After all, good grades are only one part of what makes a good person.

Written by Senior Robbe Witting. Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.