When students at Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg walked into school Friday morning, they each walked in with a purpose.
Each student carried a gift.
Some of the gifts were almost too big for the tiny hands of kindergarteners, while others were simply too big to be carried at all. But it didn’t stop them from making their holiday deliveries for Guardian Ad Litem of Tampa Bay.
“This is an opportunity for us to help them have a good Christmas,” said Shorecrest freshman Kyle Mullins.
Kyle Williams and the hundreds of students in the school only knew the first names of the children in need. They’ve never seen their faces but they’ve heard the stories of why they’re so deserving of gifts this holiday season.
At no fault of their own, the children of Guardian Ad Litem are living without their parents, siblings or a loved one to call their own. Their holidays aren’t always so bright.
“It’s something we take for granted but from their point of view, it means the world,” said Shorecrest freshman Sylvia Smith.
And that’s why the students all showed up to the school gymnasium with gifts in tow and holiday cheer in their hearts. They couldn’t wait to spread good tidings.
“It’s just the best feeling," said Shorecrest Prep gift drive chairwoman Suzy Olson. "It’s heartwarming.”
The students donated gifts that ranged from brand new bikes to a Barbie Dream House. One student even donated a chest of drawers so that the child on their list would have somewhere nice to put their new clothes.
Guardian Ad Litem of Tampa Bay Executive Director Amy Foster says these students’ willingness to share is what Guardian Ad Litem of Tampa Bay is counting on to brighten the holidays of the children they serve.
“We had a kid tell us the other day that getting gifts from places like Shorecrest helps because when they go back to school and they’re asked what they did over the holidays, they’re actually able to say the things they got, when in the past they didn’t have anything to share with their friends,” said Amy Foster of Guardian Ad Litem.
And even though Shorecrest students were able to give hundreds of gifts for children in Guardian Ad Litem of Tampa Bay, the students received the biggest gift of all…the chance to help someone else.