Hidalgo Park Elementary School students made a difference through donations this holiday season.
Student Council students and Counselor Tania Ramos organize a canned food collection and Blanket Drive to donate to Mujeres Unidas/Women Together shelter.
“Park Elementary is an extraordinary campus that not only excels in academic achievements, but also teaches the students the importance of reaching out to our community,” said Greg Solano, Principal at Hidalgo Park Elementary School. “The blanket drive gave our students the opportunity to learn about leadership, and that they too can make a difference at such an early age, and in such a significant way.”
Giving magnifies gratitude. “When we give to others, it encourages others to do the same, consequently increasing generosity throughout the community,” adds Solano. Generosity inspires others and in return it gives one a sense of purpose and wellbeing. Giving cultivates self-worth, responsibility, and humility and that’s exactly what Hidalgo Park hopes to instill in their students.
As the students prepared the donation items for Mujeres Unidas, Student Council President, Catherine Solano expressed her gratitude saying, “we appreciate everyone coming together and donating to the canned food and blanket drive!”
Hidalgo Park Elementary has taught the students the importance of reaching out and staying connected to the community and their needs. “We discussed the opportunity to have our children become involved with giving back to our community. We are very fortunate with the abundance of gifts and incentives our students receive, so we wanted the students to experience the act of giving, awareness of others' needs, and develop a sense of empathy.”
The students took pride in their community service project, the counselor added. In return, they gained leadership skills, responsibility, and a one-of-a-kind experience. “Our Student Council Officers led this activity by promoting the blanket drive through our morning announcements and sharing this with the rest of the student body. Prior to delivering the donations, the officers prepared informative questions and inquired about the well-being and process of the services provided by Mujeres Unidas.”
Donating is a selfless act and a choice, it’s just a matter of acting upon it and making a difference. It takes only one charitable donation to impact someone’s life in such a notable way. Hidalgo Park was able to come together and make a difference and look forward to doing it again. “The students are looking forward to future events where we all can continue supporting our surrounding communities as well,” concludes Ramos.