NHS Holiday Drive

NHS Holiday Drive Delivers "Holiday Magic" for Reedsburg Families

By Reedsburg Features Staff

The RAHS National Honor Society has successfully concluded  its annual Holiday Drive, a district and community-wide effort to bring relief and joy to local families facing economic hardship.

Co-advisors Mr. Alex Luther and Mrs. Kate Czarnecki led the charge again this year, aiming to build on the success of last year’s drive, which supported 53 students across 20 different families. With donation boxes stationed in classrooms for 3rd-hour collections, the NHS asked students and staff to help create "holiday magic" by donating new or gently used items.

"With tensions high due to economic strains, we aim to help relieve some pressure on families and help make a difference during these tough times," the advisors stated in an announcement to the school to kick off the drive, which began on November 25.

While the project is often referred to as a "toy drive," the needs this year are diverse. The NHS  received specific requests for action figures, craft supplies, soft blankets, Legos, and Dragon Ball Z toys. There was also a call for gift cards to retailers like Walmart or the Outlet Mall, which allowed the club to purchase specific items for teenagers or fill gaps in the donations. Monetary contributions were also accepted directly by Mr. Luther or Ms. Czarnecki, with NHS members ready to use those funds to shop for items on students' wish lists—a perennial highlight for the club members involved.

To dig deeper into the history and heart of this project, Reedsburg Features sat down with Mr. Luther to discuss what goes into organizing one of the school’s largest service traditions.

Q&A: Behind the Scenes of the Holiday Drive

By, Tyler Asp & Anna Hirschinger

Reedsburg Features: How did the NHS Holiday Drive go this year?

Alex Luther: This year's NHS Holiday Drive was once again a success! In the past, we called it a toy drive and requested new and gently used toys for families with younger children.

Reedsburg Features: It seems the scope of the drive has evolved recently. What changed?

Alex Luther: We realized a couple of years ago that there was a big need to address those families that struggle during the holidays and have older children. Because of that, we started to reach out to local businesses to see if they would want to donate either money or gifts so that we could reach more families.

Reedsburg Features: How has that new approach impacted the drive?

Alex Luther: This has really taken off in the last few years. Because of the generosity of our community, we have been able to purchase new items like clothes, gift cards, toys, books, etc., which has allowed us to make a greater impact with our Holiday Drive. This year again showed just how generous local businesses and individuals truly are to help us achieve our goals.

Reedsburg Features: Why is the toy drive so important to you personally and the NHS as an organization?

Alex Luther: To me, our Holiday Drive is the most important service project our chapter of the National Honor Society does each year. There are a lot of components that need to be taken care of to make sure it is successful.

Reedsburg Features: It sounds like a massive undertaking. When does the planning actually begin?

Alex Luther: We start in October reaching out to businesses for donations, and in November we connect with families that are in need to gather information on the types of gifts we will be purchasing or requesting as donations. Once Thanksgiving is over, it is a whirlwind couple of weeks hosting the drive at school, gathering the donations, shopping for gifts, preparing packages, and distributing those packages to families.

Reedsburg Features: How do the students react to being part of such a large project?

Alex Luther: It is inspiring to see the NHS members take their roles in this so seriously, making sure each package is complete, making connections with community members, and being able to directly see how their service impacts others when we distribute gift packages to families. It makes all of the hard work worth it.

Reedsburg Features: Why is it important to continue this tradition of service at RAHS?

Alex Luther: Service is very important to me personally, and I think it is important that we model to students giving back to others as teachers. It's even more impactful when students see their peers engaging in service to the community.

Reedsburg Features: Do you feel this project is especially relevant given the current economic climate?

Alex Luther: This particular project is important because it's been hard economically on almost everyone the past few years. Rising prices make day-to-day living difficult, so when the holidays come around it's even harder. We want to do our part in making sure every child is able to get something special during the holidays.