Kearns Jr. High reaches out to needy local families

A holiday tradition at Kearns Jr. High School is giving local families a boost during one of the most financially-straining times of the year.

Run through the school's Community Learning Center, the Kearns Jr. Holiday Store has given many a merry Christmas over the years that they might not have had otherwise. It began in 2009 as a kind of offshoot of the Sub for Santa fundraising Kearns Jr. had been doing for many years, competing between classes to donate funds to buy individual gifts for needy families in the community.

"We decided that we could probably help more families if we adopted what we call the Holiday Store," Community Learning Center Coordinator Anne Schmidt said.

The students and teachers have continued to donate in the same way, but now instead of purchasing specific items for specific people, the funds are used to buy in bulk things like hygiene items, food, and clothing, as well as popular Christmas gift items. They are set up in the school's multipurpose room for families to browse through and take what they need. This way, the school's donations and efforts reach farther into the community, and meet more needs.

"We have a lot of students and families with needs," Schmidt said. "Even their basic needs aren't being met."

Many of Kearns Jr.'s parents are working extra hours because another member of the household is out of work, and there are also quite a few situations of more than one family making the best of living under the same roof, she said. Providing for their most basic needs allows them to relax a bit and focus on enjoying the holidays with their families.

It may seem like a small thing, but families who have received help from the Holiday Store in the past have not forgotten it. Two of these families anonymously gave their own Christmas funds to the store this year because it made such a difference in their lives, and they wanted to change someone else's life in return, Principal Kandace Barber said.

"They don't have a lot, and they gave up what they have to help someone else," she said.

The school raised a total of $4,700 this year, including students' and teachers' donations, gift cards from the Granite Education Foundation, and donations from the local Cypress Credit Union and from individuals. All that was enough to help 20 families this year--about half of them through the store held on Dec. 14 and the rest through other channels--and leave some extra funds that can be used to provide for students' needs later in the school year.

"Our needs extend beyond Christmastime," Schmidt said.

The students' part in raising funds for the Holiday Store helps them understand that there is always someone whose situation is more difficult than theirs, Schmidt said.

It also gives them a way to give their classmates a hand, because they do worry about the other kids they see at school without proper shoes or coats, Barber said.

"It's a great way for the students to give back to their community," Schmidt said.