School collects food to give to the needy during the holiday season

Published in the November 25 – December 8, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Emily Martin

Emily Martin

Emily Martin

For more than 10 years, Oakwood School students of all ages have united in Thanks and Giving, their annual school-wide community service project for the local nonprofit group Community Solutions.

Students put together Thanksgiving food bins that include canned foods, stuffing, side dishes and gift cards. These packages allow local Morgan Hill families to have their own Thanksgiving meal.

Each student brings in two to three items, with many students going above and beyond by contributing far more than asked to provide. Every Thanks and Giving, Oakwood senior Rachel Hill donates extra food for those families in need. It makes her feel grateful to be bringing joy to the families who aren’t in the best of conditions.

Thanks and Giving allows moments like these to flourish around the school and into the hearts of those families. Oakwood brings this emotion and passion into an assembly to honor the effort of the student body.

During the day of the event, students, alumni, members of the community and parents congregate in the gym to celebrate each other and the spirit of the season.

During the event, the food gathered is donated to Community Solutions, which announces just how many food bins were filled.

In addition to the food donations, children’s books are gifted upon the El Toro Reading Center. After weeks of organizing and coordinating the events and contributions, Oakwood students and faculty take a moment to celebrate their own tradition with the song “Share Your Good Will” performed by the Harmonettes, an all girl middle school choir group.

Thanks and Giving will continue to be a part of Oakwood tradition and will always be a time when students enjoy giving back to their community.

Emily Martin is a senior at Oakwood High School. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.