December marks the season of celebrating and remembering, but more importantly, the season of giving. For the past fifteen years at North Penn High School, faculty members have been supporting and donating gifts to North Penn students who are not so lucky and privileged during the holiday season through The Giving Tree project. The Giving Tree supports around 25 North Penn students as well as their families. Whether it is a gift card to the local grocery store or an air mattress, the current Giving Tree advisors, Mrs. Katie Curley and Mrs. Ellen Giermann collect and shop for the students hoping their impact gives the students a happier holiday. Times are tough so not many students have experienced the feeling of coming downstairs Christmas morning and seeing the wrapped presents under the tree or celebrating 8 days of Chanukah with gifts.

“The Giving Tree is a project where we try to match students at North Penn High School who are materially needy at the winter holiday times with people who are willing and wanting to share gifts with others. We contact teachers, guidance counselors, and principals for names of students who would benefit from the program. Then we contact the students and ask if they wish to participate because some don’t want to participate, but some of them do. Then we contact the faculty and staff to see who would like to sponsor a student or a whole family. Some just make a monetary donation,” said Giermann.

The Giving Tree is coordinated under strict confidentially, only allowing the two advisors to know which students and families are participating. The students’ wish lists are sent to the other faculty members helping and they go shopping for the gifts. They then bring the wrapped gifts back to Curley and Giermann who distribute the presents to the families.

“Everybody goes through cycles, so sometimes you can give and sometimes you’re in the position of the receiving end where you might need a little extra help. Sometimes we get a little embarrassed when we need extra help and there’s really no reason to be that way because in some cases, we’re on one end, other times we’re on the other. And if you have the opportunity to give back we ask that if some point in your life if you’re capable of helping someone else out, we would hope you do that,” said Curley.

Earlier in the school year, Mr. McLarnon’s business classes held the “North Penn Sock Exchange,” selling North Penn socks to staff and students around the school and community. The $2,000 profit from the Sock Exchange was donated to The Giving Tree sponsoring four participating families. This generous donation allowed the advisors to help out more families and students than in previous years.

Also, many more North Penn Clubs and organizations are donating their time and money to this project. Students who help wrap the presents are getting hours of community service for their work and many clubs encourage their members to bring in items for The Giving Tree. At a recent FCCLA (Family, Career, Community Leaders of America) meeting, club members brought in stocking stuffers that will be donated to The Giving Tree which consisted of shampoo, conditioner, head bands and many more items. Other clubs participating in this project include Class of 2015, Class of 2016, Class of 2017, Student Government Association (SGA), Youth Education Association (YEA), Italian Club, Shakespeare Sisters, Future Health Professions, Science Olympiads and National Honors Society (NHS).

As the project is becoming more aware throughout North Penn, so is the awareness for more generous souls during hard times.

“[The Giving Tree] is something that I think is a really good thing to do around the holidays and there is a real need for it. I think sometimes when you’re in an area like Lansdale and you don’t realize that there are needy people right next door sometimes. Becoming aware of that, it’s a really good thing to do for others around the Holiday times,” said Giermann.

Although the Holidays are not about the presents and materialistic items, The Giving Tree allows faculty members and students to show how they care and want to help their classmates.

“The feeling that you get of knowing that you truly helped somebody is what makes it all worth it in the end,” said Curley. Generosity and lending a helping hand goes a far away for the families in need during these tough economic times.

The Giving Tree will be collecting gifts until December 15^th. Contact Mrs. Katie Curley or Mrs. Ellen Giermann if interested.