H ow to Ch ang e A

H o w to C h ange-A-Life Written by: Meghan Samples

The holidays are positioned at the peak of the giving season. Everyone is in a They also have a way for faculty to get involved, “The faculty tree that we better mood with celebrations of all denominations coming up. This season is full have, that’s faculty members buying individual items that way, at the end, it all of giving and gifting. While giving to family and friends is fun for all, giving to goes, and we have a complete set of toys and clothing for every kid.” charity incites a feeling of goodwill. There are many wonderful charities to give This year, the charity like many other things has had to change in order to throughout the year and especially around the holidays. to keep up with the restrictions. However, Mrs. Wallace and the other advisors

For some families, however, the holiday season is where the struggle to make still find ways to make it fun. The students “get a first name, no personal ends meet collides with the want to provide children with holiday magic. Giving to information, and an age. Each list has sizes and styles a lot of times what the charities helps these families with not only the necessities, but also with the spirit kids are wanting. So, they have to channel that child and pick out the best of the season. The Friend’s Club charity, The Change-A-Life Holiday Project, items” she said. The students work hard to buy what the kids in need helps those families in need to still celebrate the holidays and give them peace of really want. Mrs. Hopkins added that “they get to go and actively participate by mind. shopping. They are given a list of these particular items that they have to go

Mrs. Wallace has worked in the school system for many years, and she has shop for” and the students get to go from there. The special needs students continually been involved in charities. She began at Cherokee High School, involved in the charity enjoy the work they do, Mrs. Wallace saidthat “It’s where this charity started. When she moved here to Creekview, she brought that great for the kids because they are learning to give back.” loving and giving nature with her. One advisor, Mrs. Shotz, explained her favorite part: “I really enjoy the

She talks more about how the charity started: “The program, we named it fact that kids who have so many needs themselves each year during the Change-A-Life. We called it Change-A-Life because we started by putting out jars holidays raise money to shop for additional needy families and what an impact and placing them in different places around the community they have. They have such a great impact on the community as a whole.” to collect change. We’ve done it every year since the school By participating in this charity, they are learning to give to others and opened, and it’s grown because there are always more needs. It has sort of include everyone. The program is very impactful for everyone. One of the morphed from that and it transitioned into Friend’s club, so it just became advisors got emotional talking about the parents getting to see their kids get a Friend’s club project. We divide them out, some other clubs like French club what they want: “It is emotional, it is sweet, and it is a good lesson. I always say sponsors kids this year or a basketball or sports team might take on a kid.” the lesson you learn from this is more important as any of the academic things The charity is a lot of fun for the students involved. Mrs. Wallace gave a you are going to learn in school. It is to care about people and share what you play-by-play of how the charity unfolds, “We do the shopping trip. Once they can, do what you can, to help and the best part is it all stays right in our have collected the money then each child is allotted so much money, we try to community. That’s my favorite part.” stick within a budget, and then they go and pick items off that list and purchase Despite the deadline for donations having already passed, those that. Then we come back here [to the school] and the week leading up to us interested can still add last minute donations. Mrs. Wallace explained, getting out for break, we wrap everything, and we get everything labeled and then “There’s always a few last-minute gift cards. We can’t buy gift cards with school we deliver it to our feeder schools.” This helps the students to be included and money because that could be done in a misleading way. So, there are things involved in the process, rather than just giving money and never seeing the last minute but if someone wants to donate then yes, they canmake a positive outcome. donation to the friend's club.” To that, Mrs. Hopkins added. “We could find a

There are many branches of this charity. Students involved in way. If a family needed a gas card or food card or something like that for their the Friend’s Club ran a letter writing campaign. Wallace mentioned, “The kids Christmas meal or Christmas breakfast.” raise the money, this year we are doing the letter writing campaign rather than sell This helps everyone to get involved and give back to the community. something. Which makes it easier to get family and friends to invest in their Little things can make such major impacts on people. Giving during the student to go and do this project.” The letter writing program allows for students holidays can make a child’s day. By donating, you give a child the experience to get money from sponsors, such as family members or friends, and that money of waking up to gifts that they couldn’t have had otherwise. By helping these goes to the charity. kids and their parents, you really do Change their Lives.

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