With hopes of spreading Christmas love, various clubs are celebrating the true meaning of the holiday and giving back to the community.
UNICEF Club
This year, UNICEF is participating in Operation Christmas Child, where they will fill shoeboxes with gifts and decorate them. Afterwards, they will send them to the less fortunate.
“We want to be able to create a special memory for them to cherish,” Treasurer Junior Godwin Liang said. “The knowledge that I was able to make a difference is enough to make this all worthwhile.”
Three Hopes Club
“The best part about volunteering at the soup kitchen is knowing that later, these people will end up happy in their own home,” President Junior Carly Loveland said. “It’s an honor to be given the chance to aid in that.”
Created with the purpose of spreading kindness, Three Hopes is volunteering at a People Assisting The Homeless shelter to feed the residents and participate the Toys for Tots program. One of their main goals as a club is to aid sick children and the homeless.
EYES Club
“Living in Temple City, we are more fortunate than many other people,” Vice President Senior Austin Situ said. “I personally feel honored to be able to provide even just one simple gift for the less fortunate. We hope that with our gifts, we can also give love and holiday joy.”
For the holidays, EYES made 150 Christmas cards to send to orphans in China and also took part in Operation Christmas Child, shipping shoeboxes filled with presents to children in the Philippines. Members will have one more sandwich-making project before Winter Break, delivering 200 sandwiches to the homeless.
French Club
French Club is sending holiday cards to an elementary school in France, in order to make a difference in the students’ lives.
“We thought it would be nice to send the cards, because it might make someone happy to receive holiday wishes,” President Senior Leial Fakhro said. “If a card can bring someone a smile, we should at least try.”
They are collecting cards in French teacher Ms. Marie-Françoise Dao Hodang’s room on Monday, Dec. 16.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
The business leaders are collecting gifts to send to families in need this Christmas. They plan to utilize their business skills to obtain as many gifts as possible.
“Doing business isn’t taking money from people for ourselves,” Fundraising Commissioner Junior Kevin Ou said. “It’s like a trade. We take and then we give it back in another way, and this is just our interpretation of business for the holidays.”
Associated Student Body Leadership (ASBL)
In order to give back, ASBL is donating gifts to Angel’s Flight Shelter, a Los Angeles shelter for runaway kids. There are about 40 children there, and each ASBL committee is assigned an age group to give presents to. Physics teacher Mr. Kevin Slattery and Chemistry teacher Ms. Gewecke will chaperone. Mr. Slattery will host science activities, like teaching the children to create slime. All will play games with the children.
“Leadership itself is a way of giving back to the people around you,” ASBL Vice President Senior Cindy Quach said. “Being a leader means giving up time and energy to make sure the people you serve are happy.”
Giving Bach Club
Similar to their activity last year, Giving Bach is performing and teaching music with thoughtful one on one interactions at Arcadia Retirement Village, San Marino Manor, Arcadia Gardens Retirement Hotel and Methodist Hospital.
“Music allows us to interact with them at a deeper level,” Vice President Sophomore Vincent Wang said. “It lets us spread emotions with just an instrument.”