McCallie students have found a wide array of ways to get involved in their communities this holiday season. Although all of them fall under the school's concept of "A Season of Giving," a breakdown of the various groups and projects shows the kind of generous spirit the student community has shown this year, said officials.
The Missionary Committee held its annual Bethel Bible Christmas Party on Monday. They ate with two dozen children from the Bethel Bible Village and provided gifts for all of them thanks to the efforts of the committee.
Seven seniors volunteered to help serve lunch and bus tables for Senior Neighbors at the downtown Alexian Brothers headquarters on Tuesday.
The Student Council organized a massive Toys for Tots drive to help collect toys. The program, organized by the U.S. Marine Corps, is one of the most successful Christmastime drives in the country.
A wide assortment of student and faculty groups have all pitched in to sponsor gifts for some 40 children at West Side Elementary. This includes advisee groups, three faculty families, Keo-Kio, NHS, the Student Council, the College Guidance Office, the pep band, the mock trial team, the Music Appreciation Club, the recycling crew, the Guitar Consort, the Admission Office, the Development Office, and the Learning Center.
At Candlelight over the weekend, the music department collected donations of canned goods as part of the price of admission, with those items going to the Community Kitchen.
In November, members of McCallie's sophomore leadership organization TEPS helped out a woman through Widows Harvest by scraping and priming her house. The students joined a project with students from Covenant College and Southern Adventist University.
On Saturday the Student Vestry will host some 30 ladies from the Widows Harvest Ministry for dining, singing and general communion as a part of the Vestry Holiday Dinner.
In addition, various other advisee groups, both day and boarding, have designed individual projects to benefit their favorite local or national charities.