On Wednesday Nov. 30, student council members are going to the Jaffa Shrine to wrap gifts for kids. The gifts go to community kids during a later event. 

The Jaffa Shriners have invited student council members to help at their gift-wrapping event.

“I was contacted by one of the Jaffa Shriners, who must be part of the group that organizes the Christmas party they have every year for kids. One of the things that they need is assistance with wrapping the gifts. They actually have a special gift wrapping night,” student council adviser Kimberly Shope said. 

The gifts will be handed out to the children who attend the Jaffa’s Christmas party. 

“They need hands that will help to wrap the gifts. The gift wrapping is Nov. 30, and the party’s Dec. 11. So that gives them a little over a week because I’m sure there’s other pieces to the party they have to organize,” Shope said. 

This will be student council’s first time helping out for this event.

“I haven’t gone gift wrapping before, so I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but I know we have students that have signed up already,” Shope said. 

The gift wrapping event starts at 6 p.m.

“They said it’s an hour to an hour and a half, so I’m guessing everything is going to be laid out so that is pretty easy,” Shope said.

Student Council has a goal to get 20 members to volunteer 

“I think [so far] I have 12 or 15, so I have to send some reminders,” Shope said. 

Some student council members signed up to volunteer to help out their club. 

“I signed up to wrap gifts because I like to help out with student council whenever I am able to, and I think it’s important to help the people in our community,” freshman Camille Krug said. 

Some members believe volunteering at this event will have a positive impact on the children attending the party. 

“It gives them a sense of enjoyment while opening the presents. The kids would still appreciate the gift if it wasn’t wrapped, but there is a sense of mystery and curiosity that comes from guessing that sparks imagination in children. Even though some may be too young to grasp an understanding of this organization, they will have something to look back on and smile about, even if they didn’t know who did it,” sophomore Rylie Keagy said. 

Aside from benefiting the kids attending the party, some students believe that attending the gift wrapping event is beneficial to student council.

“This is beneficial to the members of Student Council because not only does this provide experience but also an achieving feeling, and it gives an appreciation for what parents do in our lives. This helps students also see how the more unfortunate can be helped out by the simplest things like wrapping a gift, so the parents don’t have to worry about taking the time out of their day too,” Keagy said.