The family partnership is big event for Park this holiday season. There are many families who can’t afford gifts. One way to help this is by sponsoring a child through the family partnership through DECA (Distributive Educatiuon Clubs of America). You sign up to sponsor a child, and then you spend $30-$35 on a gift from their wish list. You also purchase a hat and mittens, so they stay warm this winter.
The advisor of DECA, Abby Lugo, said the family partnership has been around for many years and has been very beneficial for the community because there are fewer kids who feel left out this holiday season.
“Our partnership has been going on for the last 10 to 15 years,” Lugo said. “We’ve been able to help these kids receive some of the only holiday gifts that they might be getting this year and that is a positive for the whole community.”
Sophomore Jonah Schwab said this is his first time being a part of this partnership, and he can’t wait until he can give these kids gifts. He said he will remember the kids that he helped out for a long time.
“I’m excited to help out all these underprivileged kids in making their holiday season one to remember,” Schwab said. “I can’t wait to see their faces when they open all their gifts at their holiday party.”
Sophomore Zachary Stillman said he feels very happy that he can give back to the community during the holidays because not many people do. He also said he feels like he is part of something bigger than him, and he looks forward to doing this every year.
“I feel grateful that I get to give back to my community during the holidays,” Stillman said. “I really enjoy meeting the kids, as they are super fun to play with and I get to hang around little kids which I never really do.”
Lugo said the partnership has expanded beyond just DECA, and that other communities have helped them find more people that want to sponsor kids for the family partnership.
“One of the families posted on their own neighborhood website, and they collected money from their community to support us supporting the kids,” Lugo said. “It’s a great example of how Park is so intertwined and wants to help everyone out.”
Schwab said that he has been seeing a lot of people repost the option to sponsor a child and he is happy that he is seeing this because he wants more and more people to sponsor and make this partnership a really big thing at Park.
“It makes me feel good that we’re helping these little kids out,” Schwab said. “We’re supporting kids that don’t get many opportunities to receive gifts.”
Stillman said he hopes that every year fewer and fewer kids need to be sponsored. He said that this is his second year doing this, and he wishes by the time he is a senior, there won’t be as many kids that need to be sponsored.
“Ninth grade was my first year doing this and I had a blast when it was my first time. Hopefully it’s just as good every time,” Stillman said. “If we could make it so not as many kids need a sponsor, then that would be good, but as we can support the kids that need that support, it’s all worth it.”
DECA meets twice a month on Wednesday at 7:45 a.m. before school in B226.
