Students to get wish lists fulfilled
Each one of Emily Brittain Elementary School's 200-plus students will get their wish list fulfilled Saturday.
The Mars-based nonprofit Inspired Hearts and Hands “adopted” every student for the second year in a row, and put all of their holiday lists on community angel trees for them to be filled by the community.
Cassandra Pencek, principal of Emily Brittain, said no matter the student, Inspired Hearts and Hands is giving them gifts.
“There are some families who don't fill out the list,” Pencek said, “but we contact them and let them know it's really about offering kindness and paying it forward.”
Emily Brittain will be the site of a drive-through gift giveaway Saturday, where elves will bring the wish list items, as well as holiday meal boxes, to the cars.
There also will be a DJ playing Christmas music throughout the event, Pencek said.
“Our event will be like a drive-through holiday Christmas party,” Pencek said. “They'll do between one and three gifts, and then they will get their meal box for every family member.”
Inspired Hearts and Hands aims to provide children with the “necessary extra,” according to its website, which Mindy Schnitgen, owner and founder of Inspired Hearts and Hands, said is like an extra boost of support or happiness to children and families.
The nonprofit primarily provides holiday meal boxes, and on Saturday will provide a meal for every member of every family of Emily Brittain and Broad Street elementary schools, Schnitgen said.
Schnitgen also said the children's wish lists contained everything from toy cars to new video game systems. While not every item wish could be fulfilled, she said people who support the program have been generous in purchasing as much as they could for the children.
She also said the organization decided to get gifts for every child in the school in order to ensure no one was singled out.
“Our understanding was everyone or no one,” she said. “Some of the kids are so sweet, they'll say 'I want this, I want that, but can I get a toy car for my little brother because he loves to play with cars.'”
Pencek said the school staff encouraged students and their parents to include things they want for Christmas on their wish list, because the food already was being taken care of by Inspired Hearts and Hands.
“These are not necessities they can get, these are their child wish lists,” Pencek said. “They try and support families and organizations with things they aren't typically getting.”
