LHJH Spanish Club helps brighten family’s holiday
“You know, you don’t realize there’s things that, I mean, they might not even have enough food at their house, much less presents to buy for their children. ” — Lake Hamilton Junior High Spanish teacher Lorenia Li Mandri
PEARCY — The Lake Hamilton Junior High Spanish Club offered a rather unique gift this Christmas season, by adopting a Hispanic family in need of a helping hand.
The club provided the family with clothing, shoes, toys and more, to help spread holiday cheer while making the family’s Christmas a little extra special this year.
Junior high Spanish teacher Lorenia Li Mandri, now in her 26th year at Lake Hamilton, said each Christmas she likes to get her students involved in various community outreach projects.
“I like to get the kids involved in realizing that Christmas is not just about, ‘What can I get?’ but ‘How can we give of ourselves to others who are less fortunate?’” she said. “And so every year, I try to contact the school counselor, Amy Humphries, and start (the process).”
The Spanish Club brainstormed different ways to help the family. This year, students gave up their lunch periods to sell raffle tickets for a piñata, with all proceeds going to buy presents for the family. With the money earned, Li Mandri searched for the perfect gifts for the family members with the help of Humphries and their mother. This year they raised over $285.
“I always like to make it more personal,” she said. “I love calling the mom, you know, or the father — it’s usually the mom that I talk to — and I just introduce myself over the phone. I say, ‘This is Li Mandri and I am a sponsoring teacher of Spanish
Club at Lake Hamilton Junior High and my kids are really excited.’ And I say, ‘The Spanish Club has adopted you and we are just excited and would like to know what you are needing.’”
She said this is in addition to what the families put down on the form.
“They’re very hesitant at first because they just feel embarrassed,” she said. “And I tell them, ‘It’s nothing to feel embarrassed about, the (payment) is from the blessings.’”
Li Mandri noted that most times when contacting the family, they say they do not need anything extra or that anything
would be fine. She said this year the students wanted to get something special for the parents themselves as well as the kids.
“I called them back and I said, ‘OK, I have you on speaker again and the kids want to know what would you and your husband like?’” she said. “You know, it broke my heart because she says, ‘We need some rice, food.’ And I said, ‘Oh, OK.’ I said, ‘That’s fine, but I’m really talking about like something personal. Come on, you’re the mom, you’re the one that takes care of the kids and your husband.’ I said, ‘What would you like to have?’”
Li Mandri said the mother was very hesitant but finally admitted that she could really use a jacket, as could her husband.
After all the gifts had been bought, the club members wrapped each one of them and anticipated the family’s arrival at the school. Club members Isabella Aitken and Bella Dozier noted that the family was “beyond grateful for what the students in the Spanish Club had done, and both sides
“Our job as Christians is to try to help them as much as we can. And so to them I think it was a good blessing and it just felt good, you know.” — Lorenia Li Mandri
were pleased with the results. This will most assuredly be a Christmas to remember.”
“I tell the kids if anybody feels inclined in your heart and you want to bring additional things, you’re welcome to,” Li Mandri said. “And three or four of them were able to bring some things for the family. So that was nice. And then we called the family and they come. We usually have a fiesta for them and we give them like food and groceries.”
Li Mandri also teaches a culture class on the side and said the family adoption project is a great teaching tool
“I’m big on culture,” she said. “I made them realize that not everybody is as blessed as they are and that they can freely, you know … like, their parents (are) middle-class people. Everybody can go work and all of that. And I said these people come to this country and they are scared. You know, you don’t realize there’s things that, I mean, they might not even have enough food at their house, much less presents to buy for their children. So they get to thinking and realize how important it is and how blessed they are. And a lot of times these people, I tell ‘em, they might not even be legal, but it’s none of our business, you know. And so our job as Christians is to try to help them as much as we can. And so to them I think it was a good blessing and it just felt good, you know.”
Li Mandri reiterated the importance of making sure her Spanish Club students realize that not everyone is as fortunate as others.
“The amazing thing is there’s always some food for thought for them,” she said.