NHS students continually came in and out of science teacher and senior NHS sponsor Donna Malkmus’ room. They were dropping off shoeboxes that began to stack along her front wall. The number grew until there were 108 boxes and then Malkmus took them to the collection site for the Operation Christmas Shoebox drive.

“[The collection] puts things in perspective,” junior Sami Weyhrich said. “Like, I get good presents compared to other people and my parents have always been able to financially do that on holidays and I never realized that some kids don’t have that luxury.”

The shoe boxes were filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items by NHS students wishing to receive points for the club as well as get involved in sending Christmas gifts around the world. Weyrich packed two boxes, one for a boy and one for a girl, with bubbles, Hot Wheels, a Carebear, a toy microphone, a coloring book and crayons.

“I thought it was kind of cool just because you know you are packing this for someone else who needs it more than you so it was kind of rewarding like that aspect of it,” junior Amy Wedewer said.

Malkmus said that the purpose is to provide some Christmas cheer to kids who wouldn’t get it over the holidays. One student from Malkmus’ third hour shared with her that she lived in Russia, when she was little,  and one year she was given an Operation Christmas Shoebox.

“It makes them [NHS students] aware that not everybody gets Christmas, and that sometimes you have to learn to be a part of the community of the world and help others celebrate,” Malkmus said.