By Maddie Papcun ─ Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law National Honor Society is once again giving back to the surrounding community with their annual Giving Tree. 

Every year, the members of the NHS decorate a Christmas tree in the lobby with tags. Each of these tags says the gender, age, and gift request of an underprivileged child in a local family currently in need of help. 

“We work with counselors of  Bridges who provide us with the wish lists of the kids from their families in the most need,” NHS advisor Ms. Turcotte said. 

Bridges is a social service organization based in Milford. Through the organization, counselors work with local families in need of help each holiday season, providing the club with a list of children and their wishes without disclosing names. 

“Mostly, people ask for toys that they can’t afford for their young sons and daughters,” senior NHS president Morgan Taylor said. “We do also get a lot of requests for children’s winter clothing, such as boots, hats, gloves, and coats.”

At meetings, NHS members write the requests out on holiday cards, which are then hung up on the tree for anyone to take and fulfill. Presents are returned, unwrapped and with the original tag, to the tree in the lobby for the NHS to collect and distribute back to Bridges. 

“We hope to not only give kids the presents they wish for, but to also open peoples eyes to the situations that others may live in,” senior NHS Vice President Laxman Mohanarajan said. “A lot of the requests ask for essential items, like clothing, which is hopefully eye-opening and encouraging the community to give back to the less fortunate.”

Students and teachers alike participate in the gift-giving annually, making it a point to take the time to give back in the busy holiday season. The Giving Tree has been running at Jonathan Law for over 10 years.

“Every year my family tries to do something to help out, and having the giving tree at school is not only convenient, but good for the community,” senior NHS member Amelia Mower said. 

Overall, the Giving Tree is an easy to understand concept with an even easier implementation. 

“It actually is not very difficult to run,” senior NHS Treasurer Sandra Chaghin said. “The entire NHS club is involved in each step, and being surrounded by friends as everyone sets up makes the time fly.”

The simplicity and community benefits keep the Giving Tree returning to Jonathan Law’s main lobby each year. Everyone is encouraged to participate in any way possible. 

“Just take a tag,” Taylor said. “It’s super easy to get the gift considering the fact that most are pretty general and won’t be extremely expensive; giving back makes everyone involved super happy.”