Thanksgiving is a time for us all to look back on the blessings we have been given throughout the year and give thanks to those who have made our lives better.
These students and teachers in the eastern Oklahoma County have gone out of their way this holiday to make a difference in our community.
At Choctaw High School, the National Honor Society, Giving Tree Project and Key Club members are showing their thanks throughout the community.
Patty Dennis is National Honor Society sponsor Under her care, students have gone to the Regional Food Bank, helped with the tornado clean up, and several other projects to make the community better.
Dennis said, "I think it’s important that good kids get to know one another."
Dennis also helps bring in toys and basic need items for the Giving Tree Project.
This project has been bringing Christmas home for families in Choctaw-Nicoma Park for 10 years.
The tree started when Jaime Crosby was National Honor Society sponsor for the school with only 12 students on the tree. Students and teachers at Choctaw High School are encouraged to take ornaments (with a list of a child’s needs) off a tree and then go buy those items.
The project has grown exponentially, giving Christmas to about 640 students over the years. This year Crosby and her students will give 85 students a Christmas.
"When they wake up on Christmas morning, Santa Claus did come" said Crosby.
Melissa Coulter is the Key Club Sponsor. This club at CHS often visits the Regional Food Bank, the City Rescue Mission and the Senior Citizens Center.
They also share their generosity with shelter pets in their Food for Furry Friends project.
"Key Club sets itself apart because I have students that want to serve. Nothing is forced," said Coulter.
The giving doesn’t stop there.
At Carl Albert, the JROTC, Leadership Program and NHS give thanks in their own ways.
JROTC instructor and Colonel Marcia Walker said, "I think it’s a good way, as we’re building better citizens for them to be able to give back and learn to work as a team. It helps them build leadership."
Last year, the organization’ goal for total community service hours was 800. They smashed this with 1,600 total hours for the year, and this year they are well on their way to outdoing last year’s community service.
The cadets have already worked 900 hours doing projects such as concession stands for the University of Oklahoma home football games, Post Road cleanups, and voluntering at the food bank.
They also set up flags on patriotic holidays with the Midwest City Rotary Club, and perform color guards at several events including most high school events, nursing homes, the Red Hawks games and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"It shows that I can give something that some people don’t have the ability to give. As a corps our mission for [J]ROTC plays" said Core Commander Otavius Rush.
Although leadership is a value strongly encouraged in the JROTC, Carl Albert has dedicated an entire class to creating excellent leaders.
The Leadership Program at Carl Albert is full of hand-selected students who are eager to give back to their community through various projects. These students have met the requirements to be in the class and have shown they are willing to go above and beyond for Carl Albert High School.
Projects include planning spirit assemblies and homecoming. They have also raised over $1,000 for cancer research, and purchased nearly 200 coats for a coat drive. Next they plan on working with Toys for Tots.
"I believe this program is a huge asset to our school and that we are truly training the leaders of our future. I’m so proud to be a part of their journey!"
Krystal Ross, NHS sponsor at CAHS, has a lot to be proud of as well.
This year NHS raised 2,100 pounds of food equaling around 1700 meals for the Mid-Del Food bank; a huge success thanks in large part to club president Shyanna Smith.
"It is important because we should always be willing to help, because anyone, including ourselves, could easily be in that situation when life isn’t going the way we thought it would," Smith said.
"Additionally Carl Albert students KNOW the right thing to do," .
Each NHS member was required to bring 15 cans, but many went above and beyond this requirement and donated their time.
"I am so proud of the generosity of our students. I believe it [the drive] was this successful because they knew they were helping people in our community," Ross said.
Students at Del City High School with DECA, NHS and Student Council know about generosity too.
Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) strives to prepare young leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.
At DCHS, young leaders are going out of their way to make their community a better place. Sponsored by Barbra Inselman, DECA has partnered with several charities for mini projects. For their main project, DECA partnered with the Ronald McDonald House and on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12, this will be the project DECA shows off at their state competition.
"[This is] something I enjoy doing and I think people get so self-obsessed; this helps us see the big picture," said Vice President of Community Service Rheannan Wilkins, a sophomore.
Another example of amazing students helping others is the Del City NHS.
Amanda Jenkins, NHS sponsor, allows her students to take charge in this organization.
President Aundrea Eden said, "I enjoy helping the community and my school at the same time."
NHS has built on an existing recycling project to improve it and get the entire school to help the environment.
Being an NHS member is something to be proud of as every member must accumulate 20 hours of service including two recycling events, six school sponsored hours and two hours of tutoring.
The other 10 hours come from projects in the community. Adam Seibel, points manager, said, "It’s like a little family," when asked about NHS as a whole.
Also improving the community is Student Council sponsored by Kristy Cooper.
This group is helping feed their community with a canned food drive. All of the cans will stay local as they go to the Del City Food Pantry.
This project, led by students Alicia Walker, Chase Humphrey and Jordan Northrup, is a long standing tradition, one of the longest at Del City High School.
Last but not least Midwest City High School also has a lot to offer when it comes to community service. Both DECA and JROTC are making a difference.
For their state project, DECA organized a canned food drive and volunteered at the Regional Food Bank. The project, Students Against Hunger, was led by senior Amber Landry and junior Amber Johnson.
Together they surpassed their goal of 2,000 meals by bringing in 7,733 meals for the food bank. The students applied what they learned in their marketing class in order to convince local businesses to donate cans
"It makes me feel good that we’ve helped others," Landry added.
Both girls wanted to thank all the local businesses, communities and the people in the neighborhoods because they helped the club reach its goal.
Speaking of goals, the JROTC at Midwest City High School constantly strives to meet and exceed any goal they set.
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Penning might oversee his cadets, but as he said, "This is their corps."
Everything his corps does is student led, organized and staffed. Most of this year’s community service has been led by Cadet Senior Airman Carley Henninger, special operations officer.
Henninger.said, "We have a program filled with great cadets that want to help out."
The JROTC does weekly projects at the school to make the school a better place along with clothing drives, volunteering at animal shelters, helping with Special Bombers (the Special Olympics), a food drive and a book drive just to name a few.
The corps has set a goal of eight hours on average per cadet, totaling 1,008 community service hours for the year. A goal they are well on their way of accomplishing.
The EastWord News would like to say thank you to all of these EOC students who have taken time out of their own lives to give thanks this holiday season.
Even the smallest gift or action can make a monumental difference in someone’s life. Shyanna Smith of Carl Albert said it best when she quoted Jeff Warner.
"We aren’t put on this earth for ourselves, but for each other. If you’re there for others, then in time, someone will be there for you."
