Gabe Greenwood lights path for community families in need
For many, a typical winter break may consist of gift-giving, enjoying delicious meals and
spending quality time with family members and friends. However, the holidays can be a difficult time for some people, especially for those unable to be surrounded by their families.
During the holiday season, many consider giving their time to make the holidays joyous for everyone.
Sophomore Gabe Greenwood said he has done this through volunteering at his church, providing holiday excitement for children separated from their parents.
Greenwood explained he is a member of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church, which holds an annual gift donation program called “Angel Tree.”
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The guardians of the children of incarcerated individuals can request [for volunteers] to buy gifts for their children,” he said.
Greenwood added his church works with the nonprofit Prison Fellowship program, which assigns their church the families they will be working with.
Additionally, the deacons of the church, including himself, communicate with the families to figure out the certain types of gifts to give the children, Greenwood explained, and this is how the “Angel Tree” is formed.
“There’s a tree in the main room of the church with little ornaments,” he said. “On them, they say things kids want, and people can sign up to buy presents.”
Anyone in the community can take an ornament off of the tree and fulfill a child’s holiday wish, he added.
Greenwood explained that the action of giving back has a significant impact on him.
“It brings me joy to see the ornaments get taken off the tree,” he said. “Family members are getting helped.”
Similarly, Greenwood said this work is a fun thing for him to do, and it supports his church and the community around him.
“It helps those kids have a happy Christmas, and that’s always important, no matter what,” he explained.
Keary Ryan teaches his students about gift of giving back yearly
Some find the holidays overwhelming because of midterms, family obligations and finding the perfect gift, while others struggle to make ends meet.
Math teacher Keary Ryan said he tries to do his part by leading an initiative every December with his students to help give to those who are less fortunate.
He volunteers with his AP Calculus classes for an initiative called “Mitzvahs for Christmas,” a tradition in which Ryan’s students bring in gifts for families who are struggling, he explained. Each year, he said he learns of a few households that are having financial trouble and assigns the families to his classes.
“We pretty much adopt a couple families for the holidays,” Ryan said.
Ryan became involved with the program in 2011 when his father, a former teacher at the high school, passed his tradition on to him, he explained.
and Lily Jones and seniors Audrey
Tipton and Maddie Merzel open gifts
with a child last year (Photo Courtesy of Keary Ryan).
“When he retired, he asked me if I wanted to take it over,” Ryan said.
Students donate both practical and fun items, he said, as many of the families are struggling with necessities as well. He gets ideas from his students by talking to the adults in the housesholds about their wants and needs, Ryan explained.
The condition of the gift students bring in varies, he added.
“People go buy brand new things for total strangers,” Ryan said. “Other people bring in gently used things.”
Not only is giving back beneficial for families, but it also creates a positive outcome for his students, he added.
“It’s cliche, but it really does make you feel good,” Ryan said.
The program is also an opportunity for students to see how fortunate they are, Ryan said. Many kids in Bexley often struggle with comparing themselves, he explained, and this can help them be grateful.
“It’s really fulfilling to bring kids to a situation like this,” he said. “We’re going into homes where poverty is real.”
Ryan added giving back to the community helps him with the true meaning of holiday spirit.
Additionally, volunteering and giving back during the holidays aligns with his personal values, he said.
“It’s the whole idea of thinking of others first and lifting people up, and I think that’s important to me,” Ryan said.
He explained he found this experience motivates and leaves a positive impact on
students and the community.
“You’re inspiring other people to feel philanthropic,” he said. “The best is when you see the Bexley kids feeling good about themselves.”
Naomi Holt warms hands, hearts with her church for holiday season
As the years go by, the holidays seem to have become more materialistic, with kids making extensive lists of everything they want and parents urgently shopping for deals. However, some high school students have started to prioritize giving rather than receiving.
Freshman Naomi Holt said the first time she volunteered on Christmas was in 2020 at her church. Holt explained her family was given the opportunity to par-
ticipate in an event called “Bethlehem on Broad Street.”
“We always wanted to do it because it’s good for the community, but we were always out of town,” she said.
The event is held at First Congregational Church on Christmas morning, Holt said, and it provides many different things for those who need it.
“The homeless come and we give them gloves, mittens and other necessities to get through the holidays,” she explained.
Over the years, Holt said along with giving out winter clothes, she has served food to people who come in. It’s especially important to help others during the holiday season, Holt added.
“At Christmas when you receive gifts, you start to realize that there’s people who don’t get those things,” she explained.
Volunteering in the wintertime is important because of the harsh weather conditions, she added.
“It starts to get cold, and you want people to be safe,” she explained.
Holt said she could clearly see how her work she was doing was beneficial to the community.
“Especially when you’re serving food, they’re really grateful for that,” she explained.
Holt said her experiences weren’t solely about giving out food or clothes, but the relationships she built with the people.
“They will just start talking to you,” she added. “Sometimes, you get to hear their stories.”
Aside from impacting the people she’s helping, volunteering has an effect on Holt as a person too, she said.
“It gives you more perspective,” Holt explained. “You know there’s people in the cold, but actually seeing and talking to them is different. You have a personal connection to them.”
