The holiday season is back again and with it comes the annual AYS Giving Tree event. Each year At Your Service, a leadership club on campus that focuses on community service, runs a holiday campaign that collects items to donate to those who are less fortunate. It has been a crazy year so far which makes helping others more vital to keeping the holiday spirit alive than ever.

This year, AYS is collecting gift cards, shoes, and school supplies like binders and paper to donate. The pandemic is a big set back for collecting donations, but AYS is finding ways to safely collect items. Students can drop off items at the middle school office under Mr. Dobynn’s name, where they will be safely kept before being collected and distributed to school districts in need of supplies. Teddy King has been trying to keep things interesting with small events like Secret Turkey, where AYS members all got to send an “I am thankful for. . .” email to another club member. For the Giving Tree, she believes it is “incredibly important for AYS to donate these items because as a mission statement of giving back through community service. We want to be the helping hand not just for our school district but our southern California community, especially in a year like 2020.”

The Vice President of the club, Lexie Howell, also thinks the event “is important because it is a great way to give back during the holidays and to brighten the holiday spirit.” Howell describes the purpose of the event as a way to “give back to kids that are less fortunate and to make their holiday season a little happier.”

Although the Giving Tree may not have been as large of an event as it usually is, even small donations help. It is an effort to brighten the holidays by helping provide school supplies to kids who can’t easily afford them. The holiday spirit is more than just presents and songs, it’s about spreading joy.