Giving back is the best gift of all

Students at Newton Christian School had a powerful incentive this winter as they worked to raise money to support local charities in Newton during the holiday season; they’d get to see one of their teachers sing and dance to “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”

Jonathan Raper, the leader of the red team said seeing his teacher Mary McBride dance was all the incentive his team needed to come out on top this holiday season.

“I thought we’d win because I persuaded my whole class to donate,” Raper, an eighth-grader said. “I convinced everyone to see our teacher dance.”

Raper’s group, the red team, was collecting items for The Salvation Army in Newton, one of several local organizations that the school identified to contribute to this holiday season. Mary Patterson, the principal at Newton Christian, said this year the school decided to try a different tack with their holiday giving project. Last year the school raised money to donate to a former student’s family, now working as missionaries in Africa. Patterson said the idea is for students to take the project beyond the holidays, however.

“It’s not just a Christmas giving project, this is a relationship, they’re building relationships with these people,” Patterson said. “Your heart is transformed when you start seeing real people.”

Each of the teams went out into the community to find a community partner to work with. Raper said his team went to visit the staff at The Salvation Army and toured the building to learn more about how the organization serves the local community. They asked the employees at The Salvation Army what their needs were, and then started collecting items and raising money.

Students brought in hats, gloves, scarves and other clothing items, as well as money. Patterson stressed this wasn’t just an activity where students asked their parents for money, they had to earn it by working around the house or finding other ways to donate. Raper earned money for the project by helping his parents clean the house, vacuuming and unloading the dishwasher.

“They’re learning to be generous,” Patterson said. “Going there and seeing firsthand, meeting the people there, they’re doing something throughout the year, building relationships with people in the community.”

Working in a team with students of all different ages also helped students grow their leadership skills, Patterson said. When students went out to meet with groups in Newton they couldn’t rely on their teachers to do the talking for them.

“We want them to develop their leadership skills, we want them to own it,” Patterson said.

Meeting the staff at The Salvation Army drove home the importance of their mission, Raper said. Next Wednesday Janelle Cleveland, captain of The Salvation Army in Newton, will visit to have lunch with the team, and Raper said he and his classmates plan to keep working to find more ways to donate. Team members have learned more about what’s going on in the community, and that’s a good feeling, Raper said. The students also plan to send thank you cards for the staff at The Salvation Army and to keep them in their prayers.

“Just the blessing of getting to see how much our school could raise and what we could do together,” Raper said.

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com