Article by Cara Coombs and Johanna Ziegler
‘Tis the season for card and gift tag making! Keeping with her tradition, Minarets Cs and history teacher Katie Morgan hosted for Community Day a Christmas card making activity in which cards and gift tags were handmade for the patients of Valley Children’s Hospital. This activity always generates a large turnout, Morgan says. “The students seem to enjoy it being able to be creative and make cards and gift tags and having that real-world connection that it’s going to somewhere nearby like Valley Children’s [Hospital].”
Students are provided cards, envelopes, ribbons, stickers, stamps, colorful tapes, and a huge assortment of other supplies to make their cards unique and in the Christmas spirit. For junior Corrin Nielsen, making these Christmas cards has become a Community Day tradition. Nielsen has participated in Morgan’s Community day three years in a row and is likely to do it again for her senior year. When asked why, Nielsen said, “...it’s a lot of fun to make these cards. Especially when you know they are going to children who wouldn’t otherwise have a real Christmas without us.” Fellow Community Day participant senior Lindsay Gilles agrees, saying, “I’m glad that I can help people and participate in such a good thing.”
Making these cards is more than just a fun activity; it has a profound effect on the children who receive them. Morgan explains how it can be beneficial to the young patients, saying, “...it’s a really good morale booster because the holiday season is all about family and happiness and kindness.” Bringing this morale booster is no easy task, however. In the past, Morgan’s Community Day has struggled to make sure it has enough supplies for the students, but with donations from the California Scholarship Federation this year, that challenge has been eliminated.
This year, dozens upon dozens of cards and gift tags were made. They will be sent to Valley Children’s Hospital within the next couple of days, bringing the Christmas cheer to all the young patients and their parents.