Lodi students embrace the giving spirit for holiday season
Barbie dolls, infant walkers, baby dolls and even big wheel tricycles cover the tables in Lodi Adopt-A-Child’s (LAAC) front office on East Pine Street, many of them donated by the Joe Serna Jr. Charter School Student Council on Friday afternoon.
Joe Serna Principal Maria Cervantes presented the idea to Carla Dalfonso, a science teacher and student council advisor, in late November, eager to give their students a chance to help those less fortunate than themselves.
“I’ve always had the opportunity to come and pick cards, and our student council is always dedicated to helping the community. It’s a way to give a Christmas to kids who otherwise wouldn’t have one, so I presented the idea to our student council advisor before Thanksgiving break,” Cervantes said.
The eight middle schoolers each selected an Angel Card containing the name and Christmas wish list of an underprivileged Lodi child, before purchasing one or two toys with a budget of $46 each after school on Tuesday, according to Dalfonso.
“That was money they had raised. We had a middle school dance the Friday before Halloween. Some of it went to our student account, some we had to deposit with the district, but it gave them $46 each to spend. We spent two hours at the store, making sure we got everything on the lists. They were so great at the store, they wanted to buy everything, but we had to stick with the budget. Maybe next year, we can raise more money” Dalfonso said.
The toys will be delivered to the children during a party in LAAC’s back office on Dec. 9, where they can have their picture taken with Santa Claus next to a faux fireplace and receive a goodie bag of candy before picking up their gifts, according to Dennis Jones, a member of LAAC’s board of directors who explained that he and his fellow volunteers wrap the toys themselves.
“The reason why we wrap the gifts ourselves is because we want the cards to stay with the gifts all the way through. We check them up front, then we check them again in the back when we wrap them to make sure that each kid gets the right thing,” Jones said.
During a brief tour of the office, which included a large room dubbed “Bicycle Lane,” where families can pick up larger gifts such as bicycles and strollers, Jones expressed his gratitude to the middle schoolers, adding how much he enjoys watching children receive their gifts.
“We appreciate you guys doing it, it really helps us out. We like to see people do this, and it’s fun to see the kids come through and get their gifts, it’s really great,” Jones said.
Although the all-volunteer organization has been in Lodi since 1989, this is the first year that Joe Serna students have participated, Cervantes explained, her students are already planning to take part next year. Cervantes was impressed by the display of selflessness by her students, such as Bianca Ha, 13, who spent her birthday afternoon shopping for others.
“It was Bianca’s birthday, and she spent it shopping for someone else. She did a good job, too, that little girls will be getting some cute stuff. I feel very proud of our students that were very comfortable taking time out of their day to do something that makes a difference in the community,” Cervantes said.