RECENT STORIES

Lecture to explore life of undocumented undergrad ( Carmen Ramos Chandler )
CSUN enrollment hits record ( Carmen Ramos Chandler )
Halloween is almost here and we are baaaaaaacckk! ( Mara Pearson )
Adam Grant re-elected to bar's board of trustees ( Diane Rumbaugh )
'Ghost Town' explores life, death and ghosts ( Pam Vetter )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ The Valley \\ Stories \\ Holidays \\ Christmas

Northridge Kiwanians lend a hand to Santa

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Mark Kellam on 12/24/2007

Each year, the Northridge Kiwanis Club lends a hand to St. Nick through its Santa's Helpers program. For the past two years, I've been a helper and I must say it's one of my favorite community service activities.

Through Santa's Helpers, we help several students from Napa Elementary in Northridge do their Christmas shopping.

Around 8:30 a.m. on the big day, Kiwanians meet outside the school and are given a sheet of paper with their assigned child's name on it and a list of their parents and siblings.

Then the students come out, are matched up with their Kiwanian and head to the store to make their purchases.

Last year, I shopped with a 6-year-old named Mario. We got all his gifts and returned to the school to wrap them.

Then, I found out that Mario had just mastered the art of putting tape on things. He insisted on placing all the tape on each present himself. It took a little while, but the little guy did it.

I knew I had to let him because, while he'd be happy with the presents he'd gotten for his mom, dad, siblings and teacher, I knew he'd be most proud that he had put every piece of tape on those gifts.

This year, I helped a 10-year-old student named Eric Chavez shop. His list included his mom, dad and eight siblings. It was a tall order, so Eric got some extra help from Teresa and Alma Hernandez, both from Our Community School in North Hills.

I found out that Tech Decks are very popular with boys this year. They are basically small skateboards for your fingers. With them, kids do various tricks, similar to the ones you'd do on a regular skateboard.

Eric and several of the other boys had Tech Decks in their carts for themselves.

While the kids get a kick out the shopping experience, so do the Kiwanians.

When asked why she's been a Santa's Helper for 18 years, Kiwanian Joan Holland's response was simple. "For that," she said, gesturing to the broad smile on the face of Lizbeth Ponce, the student she was helping. "That smile, it gets me every time."

Lizbeth was smiling so big because of the gift she'd gotten for herself - a Bratz Kidz doll.

Larry Nye, the Kiwanis member who has coordinated the Santa's Helpers project the past several years, said he feels it's one of the best things the club does.

"There are just so many rewards," he said.

Susan Babit is the new principal at Napa Elementary, though she's been an administrator at other schools in the past.

She was visibly moved by the project. "Thank you all so much," she said to the Kiwanians, her eyes welling up with tears.

Later in the week, Babit said the Kadima Hebrew Academy in West Hills donated 75 new shoes to Napa students.

"This has renewed my faith in the world," she said. "I've been crying from all the happiness all week."

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story