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CLCS National Honor Society Holds Annual Holiday Program

By Sara Holthouse sholthouse@ post-journal.com MAYVILLE — Chautauqua Lake Central School’s National Honor Society helps to bring the holiday spirit to the school and community on an annual basis with their food and gift program, an effort that helps to bring comfort and joy to families in need in the community each year. The annual program brings together students, staff and community partners to work together to help make the holidays a little bit brighter for those in need in the local community. This year’s initiative supported 18 families and over 60 children, with students and staff bringing in more than 400 items for this year’s drive. Work on the program begins well before the holiday season, with families who may benefit from assistance being identified and discreetly contacted by Olivia Michalak, NHS advisor. Faculty and staff members are given the opportunity to support the effort by sponsoring families, either by purchasing gifts for children or contributing financial donations. Local community partners, including churches and individual donors, also play a vital role through donations, with said donations allowing NHS members to be able to thoughtfully select gifts so that every child is remembered and no family is overlooked. “Our National Honor Society students exemplify the true spirit of the season through their compassion and commitment to serving others,” Chautauqua Lake Superintendent Josh Liddell said. “The way our students, staff, and community come together to support families in need reflects the strong sense of care that defines our school district. I am incredibly proud of this collective effort and the meaningful impact it has on our school community.” Chautauqua Lake’s NHS also organizes a schoolwide food drive besides the gift distribution, to help families prepare a traditional holiday meal. Collected items include staples such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, canned vegetables and fruit, macaroni and cheese, biscuit mix, cranberry sauce, and desserts. NHS student members are involved in every step of the process, promoting the drive throughout the school, collecting and organizing donations, shopping, sorting and wrapping gifts, along with preparing food boxes for distribution. Students also help coordinate delivery and make sure each family receives their food and gifts in time for the holidays. Chautauqua Lake officials praised the work of the NHS students for this annual drive, saying that they make a meaningful impact on their school community during the holiday season. “Our NHS students are compassionate leaders, and our students and staff who donated to their community have felt that amazing feeling of collective purpose and service that can only be expressed as the best type of holiday cheer,” Principal Rachel Curtin said. “We had so much fun collecting the food donations, shopping, wrapping, and delivering these gifts as a school family. I am very grateful and proud of Ms. Michalak, our NHS advisor, and our NHS members for their hard work and commitment to living and leading with purpose.”

MAYVILLE — Chautauqua Lake Central School’s National Honor Society helps to bring the holiday spirit to the school and community on an annual basis with their food and gift program, an effort that helps to bring comfort and joy to families in need in the community each year.

The annual program brings together students, staff and community partners to work together to help make the holidays a little bit brighter for those in need in the local community. This year’s initiative supported 18 families and over 60 children, with students and staff bringing in more than 400 items for this year’s drive.

Work on the program begins well before the holiday season, with families who may benefit from assistance being identified and discreetly contacted by Olivia Michalak, NHS advisor. Faculty and staff members are given the opportunity to support the effort by sponsoring families, either by purchasing gifts for children or contributing financial donations. Local community partners, including churches and individual donors, also play a vital role through donations, with said donations allowing NHS members to be able to thoughtfully select gifts so that every child is remembered and no family is overlooked.

“Our National Honor Society students exemplify the true spirit of the season through their compassion and commitment to serving others,” Chautauqua Lake Superintendent Josh Liddell said. “The way our students, staff, and community come together to support families in need reflects the strong sense of care that defines our school district. I am incredibly proud of this collective effort and the meaningful impact it has on our school community.”

Chautauqua Lake’s NHS also organizes a schoolwide food drive besides the gift distribution, to help families prepare a traditional holiday meal. Collected items include staples such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, canned vegetables and fruit, macaroni and cheese, biscuit mix, cranberry sauce, and desserts. NHS student members are involved in every step of the process, promoting the drive throughout the school, collecting and organizing donations, shopping, sorting and wrapping gifts, along with preparing food boxes for distribution. Students also help coordinate delivery and make sure each family receives their food and gifts in time for the holidays. Chautauqua Lake officials praised the work of the NHS students for this annual drive, saying that they make a meaningful impact on their school community during the holiday season.

Students throughout the year participate in gathering gifts and food donations to put together for families.

“Our NHS students are compassionate leaders, and our students and staff who donated to their community have felt that amazing feeling of collective purpose and service that can only be expressed as the best type of holiday cheer,” Principal Rachel Curtin said. “We had so much fun collecting the food donations, shopping, wrapping, and delivering these gifts as a school family. I am very grateful and proud of Ms. Michalak, our NHS advisor, and our NHS members for their hard work and commitment to living and leading with purpose.”

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