Tis’ the Season of Giving

Mountains of brightly-wrapped presents, toy drums, musical keyboards and even new bicycles were piled high inside the hallways of the Lower, Middle and Upper schools this month, reflecting the enduring spirit of giving that provides true meaning to the holiday season. Students across all three divisions dedicated themselves to gathering hundreds of items to donate to several worthy charities so that families in need might be able to celebrate a joyous holiday season.

For the second year in a row, Lower School students participated in the “Helping Hands” holiday drive benefiting the women’s-outreach group, 180 Turning Lives Around. Organized by the Lower School’s community service club and directed by After School Activity Coordinator Holly Hovis and Community Service Club Director Miriam Pfleger, the children matched 176 needy families with students, supplying them with everything from diapers to baby dolls.
Middle and Upper School students contributed to another worthy cause long-associated with Ranney School: Lunch Break. Lunch Break provides food and other necessary items to families in distress throughout the Red Bank area. During the holiday season, the organization also conducts “Gifts from the Heart,” matching needy families with families in the greater community. This year, each Upper and Middle School advisory group was given the “wish list” for one or two children, depending on the size of the group. The students were responsible for collecting and wrapping the presents, and then placing them in large plastic bags for each child. In total, they donated more than 110 bags full of toys and gifts to Lunch Break, causing the Ranney van to make several trips to complete the donation.

Also in Middle School, Ranney Chapter 4410 of the Jr. Tri-M Music Honor Society, led by Lower School music teacher Lilly Torrente, donated nearly 70 musical-themed toys to the U.S. Marine’s “Toys for Tots” drive. Using monies collected during the school year through fund-raising efforts, the students purchased more than $500 in toys that “sang”, “played music” or just “looked like” musical instruments. The purchased toys were then combined with musical toys donated by Ranney families and delivered to U.S. Marine’s “Toys for Tot” drop off location in Lincroft on Wednesday, December 16.

And in a project close to the heart of every Ranney family, Upper School students and several Middle School faculty members donated supplies and letters of support to Gabriela Pereira, the daughter of Ranney security officer Mario Pereira, and her army unit currently serving in Iraq. According to Upper School history teacher Dr. Noel Delgado, who coordinated the drive, the students and teachers collected 143 pounds of holiday cards, letters and much-needed supplies, including books, batteries, shaving supplies, phone cards, cameras and puzzles.

Head of School Dr. Lawrence Sykoff says it is inspiring to see so many Ranney students and their families reach out and respond to those in need, especially in these difficult economic times. “Ranney students are to be commended for their compassion, their empathy and their understanding of the world around them,” Dr. Sykoff said. “By embracing children and families in need, our students are championing our school’s mission and philosophy which views service and social commitment as a fundamental aspect of a purposeful life.”

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.