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The Marshall County Family Resource Network is expanding its efforts to brighten the holiday season for local teens.
The organization hosted a gift assembly with area high school students Thursday to fill Christmas wish lists for the organization’s second annual Christmas gift distribution for teens. Members of John Marshall High School clubs, including the National Honors Society, Paws for a Cause and more, created gift bags with items for the Carolyn Dalzell Closet of Hope, which provides items such as shampoo, shower gel and more to locals in need.
Family Resource Network Executive Director Stacie Dei began the distribution last year to bring attention to teens in need around the holiday season, while most charities focus their efforts on families with small children. This year, Dei has expanded the project, providing gift bags including personal care items, clothing and Buffalo Wild Wings gift cards to 150 students ages 13-18 throughout the county, up from 115 last year.
The names of students and their needs, which will remain anonymous, were given to the FRN by school faculty, who will distribute the gifts.
“I could see that less was being done for this population. We have a very generous community, with a lot of giving for children, but it always goes up to age 12 and there was nothing after that,” Dei said. “It was wonderful to have the schools and other organizations respond to this idea so positively.”
Senior National Honors Society member Bethany Booth said she started working with Dei in the summer for ideas on how to help her peers.
“A lot of us are more fortunate. We have presents and everything we need each year so we want to help others,” Booth said. “A lot of people forget about teenagers when it comes to the holidays. They just want what everyone else has.”
Fellow club member Tyler Keller said he plans to help Dei with future projects.
“Anytime Stacie needs any help we’re willing to get involved,” Keller said. “People don’t realize there is such a need in our county and we want to get that information out to the community.”