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Every year children in need don’t get to celebrate the holiday season. With the help of Legacy’s clubs and the Adopt-A-Child Charity, students can help make the holiday season a memorable experience for families in Mansfield.

The Common Ground Network at First Mansfield Methodist Church interviews parents that want to participate. However, the family must meet a certain criteria of financial needs and qualify for the program.

Key Club sponsor, Shelley Burkett goes to the church to get the information of the 36 children from 2-12 years of age. She then distributes the list to the teachers and staff at Legacy participating in the Adopt-A-Child. The class then votes on whether they want to do it or not. “Adopting” the child allows each class to focus on that specific child to make sure they get the holiday season they couldn’t have had without the program.

“I think that it will relieve some of the stress off the parents that are worried about where they’re going to get money for Christmas,” Ms. Burkett said.

Each class will “adopt” one child, but departments like JROTC adopted two children and Choir adopted four. Each teacher’s method for collecting money and gifts varies. Jeri Bordelon, Acadec sponsor and Social Studies teacher, made cards that represented the child’s name, gender, shoe and cloth sizes, and what the child loves to do.

”I think it gives us a chance to show these children that there is good in the world,” Ms. Bordelon said, “and that there are people that care.”

The classes have various methods on how they accumulate the gifts. Some teachers shop as a class, some ask the students to go shopping and turn in gifts and other teachers collect money from students and do the shopping themselves.

All the gifts and money must be turned in to Mrs. Burkett by December 15, so the Key Club can group the items together before Christmas Break; in time for each family to receive their packages on December 16.

“I’m pretty impressed with the willingness of the teachers and staff to do this, because it’s hard to compete with the Toy-For-Tots.” Burkett said. “The parents can focus on using their money for bills and food and not be stressed about their children not having a memorable Christmas.”