Montgomery Catholic Students Assist the Christmas Clearinghouse

Middle School SGA: Jessica Hankins, Sarah Souriya, Andrew Koerner, Dalton DeRamus, Max Barranco, Mason Sylvester, and Austin Varner (Photo by Mary Kelley)

The spirit of Christmas is all about sharing peace, joy, and love, and the students at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School have been busy sharing that love with a few families with the help of HandsOn River Region.

The MCPS high school Key Club and the middle school Student Government Association adopted needy families to assist HandsOn River Region’s Christmas Clearinghouse. The students shopped for gifts for all family members, including clothes, toys, school supplies, diapers, gift cards, bicycles, and other practical and fun items. These gifts help to ease the financial burden on families who could use a little Christmas cheer during the holidays.

“Christmas can be a stressful time for those who are struggling to make ends meet,” said MCPS

middle and high school principal Justin Castanza. “For these families, even the simplest gifts can make a huge impact. Our students are proud to support the efforts of HandsOn River Region and we hope that our humble donations will help to make this Christmas a little brighter for these families.”

Each year, families in need are paired with groups and organizations who wish to help them during the winter holidays. Around 10,000 individuals—8,000 of whom are children—are helped through the efforts of the Christmas Clearinghouse.

High School Key Club (Photo by Jeanene Crenshaw)

Montgomery Catholic Students Bring Christmas Joy to the Children’s Center

December is a month filled with joy and celebration, and for the students at the Montgomery Public Schools Children’s Center School, some extra cheer was delivered right to their classrooms.

Throughout holiday season, the Montgomery Catholic high schoolers had been preparing for a special surprise for the Children’s Center. Groups of MCPS students “adopted” different classes at CCS, shopped for gifts for each student, and gift wrapped them all. As a special treat, the MCPS students hand-delivered gifts to each CCS student and threw a party complete with face painting, crafts, and balloons. Santa Claus made a surprise visit to all the classrooms and visited with the students. Teachers were also given cleaning supplies and blankets for each classroom.

For many of the MCPS students, this visit embodied the spirit of the season.

“I really enjoyed delivering gifts to our buddies,” said MCPS senior Chris Waring. “The most important thing about Christmas is giving, and I feel that we were able to give them the spirit of Christmas through our gifts, our songs, and our friendship.”

For some students, like freshman Aniya Lowery, this trip was deeply personal. Her sister, Audia, is a student at CCS and requires round-the-clock care.

“This made me happy because I got to see smiles from both the CCS and MCPS students,” said Aniya, who accompanied her sister for the festivities. “I am also glad that the other MCPS students were so excited to participate and were willing to spend their afternoon here.”

Their mother, Dominique McCall, shared the sentiment. “Many of these children don’t have the same opportunities for celebration during the holidays as other children,” she said about the CCS students. “The Catholic students made sure they did not feel forgotten or left out.”

The partner program between Montgomery Catholic and the Children’s Center started in the Fall of 2017. MCPS teacher Mrs. Stefanie Nelson organizes each trip that the high schoolers take. Every Wednesday during the school year, students from the MCPS high school campus visit CCS to spend time with the children there. Engaging in activities such as physical therapy and playtime, the high schoolers get to make some new friends while learning about stewardship to others and the important role that the CCS has in the community. The kids at the Children’s Center look forward to seeing their high school buddies each week, and it is an enriching experience for all the students.

“I think the fact that so many of our high school students chose to give up an afternoon of sleeping, studying for final exams, or hanging out with their friends shows that the Children’s Center is an even bigger blessing to us and our students than we are to them,” said Mrs. Nelson. “I’m proud to be a part of a community that truly is growing students into servant leaders.”

Mrs. Johanna Hubbard, principal of the Children’s Center, expressed her appreciation of the MCPS students.

"This partnership has become one of the greatest blessings our school has ever received,” said Mrs. Hubbard. “The smiles on our students’ faces when they see their brothers and sisters come in are evidence of the genuine love they feel from MCPS students and faculty.  What began as a service project a year and a half ago has grown to be an extension of our family, and we could not be more grateful."

Montgomery Catholic Students Honor Fallen Veterans With Wreaths Across America

On the morning of Saturday, December 15, after the opening keynote speech from Medal of Honor recipient Retired Army Captain Gary M. Rose, the somber notes of Taps played for family members and volunteers who had gathered to place wreaths on the graves of veterans interred at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama. Among those in attendance were middle school students from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School who dedicated their Saturday morning to honoring those who served.

MCPS students Sam Roberts, Karson Franklin, Aidan Blum, Hayden Binder, Sarah Souryiah, Ryan Parker, Izzy Priori, Ben Nguyen, and Monica Nguyen participated in the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony. They were joined by MCPS middle and high school principal Mr. Justin Castanza, middle school guidance counselor Mrs. Mary Kelley, and high school history teacher and veteran Mr. Hollis Johnson.

Wreaths Across America is a volunteer organization whose mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach children the value of freedom. Once a year, volunteers from across the United States, at sea, and abroad gather at military cemeteries to lay remembrance wreaths onto the graves of our country’s fallen heroes from all branches of service. This is the 10^th year that the Alabama National Cemetery has held this event.

Although there are federal holidays which pay tribute to members of the military, Wreaths Across America aims to bring attention to the service of veterans and acknowledge the importance of remembering them, especially through the winter holidays.

“I think it's important to recognize the sacrifice that our vets have made for our country outside of just Memorial Day and Veterans Day,” said Mr. Johnson, who served as a Marine Corps artilleryman. “Christmastime is when families are thinking of their loved ones, so it is a very appropriate time to recognize our vets.”

Student Sam Roberts knows all about recognizing loved ones. He was able to place a wreath on the grave marker of his “Big Daddy”, Air Force Staff Sergeant William Allen King.

“I wanted to do something meaningful this season that helped the community,” Sam said when asked about his motivation to join Wreaths Across America. “It was really special to be able to honor Big Daddy along with all of the other veterans here.”

The Wreaths Across America event attracted hundreds of volunteers from across the state of Alabama. With the many hands available, placing wreaths on all 6,000 grave markers was light work. Some, like Sam, had loved ones they could honor with wreaths. For others, it was an opportunity to pay tribute to comrades in arms.

“Being a Marine vet myself, I personally sought out the graves of Marines to lay wreaths upon. It was a very moving experience,” explained Mr. Johnson.

For all in attendance, it was an unforgettable event, and hopefully it will raise awareness of the importance of remembering all veterans.

"It was a tremendous honor and privilege for us to participate in Wreaths Across America at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo this year,” said MCPS middle school guidance counselor Mary Kelley, who organized the trip. “The event was a moving tribute to all of our veterans who sacrificed so much to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day.  We look forward to being a part of this wonderful event again next year.”

The wreaths will remain in the cemetery until January. The next Wreaths Across America event at the Alabama National Cemetery will take place on Saturday, December 14, 2019. More information can be found at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.