SANTA MARIA — The Delta High School Holiday Store is full of free Christmas gifts and necessities for needy students and their families.
The store opens this week for few days and is located across the street from the Orcutt campus at the Element Church.
It will serve about 375 students with thousands of donated items including clothes for all ages, games, toiletries, blankets, candles, sports equipment and much more. About half of the items are brand new and the other half has been gently used.
“This event helps any of our students who personally need items, as well as gives our students an ability to give gifts to their family and also others in need in our community at large,’’ said teacher Shawn Tracht.
The store began three years ago when it was created by the Delta Hope Club for the Holiday season. It ran two years in a row, but unfortunately did not run last year.
The major premise of the Hope Club is to encourage all students to become givers themselves because as they say, “we live when we give.”
“Being a part of the Hope Club and putting on the Holiday Store instills in me that I could become a giver for life and I can also inspire others to do the same,’’ said student Nirvana Alvarez. “What I learned from spending 10 weeks planning and putting on this holiday event with my peers and the neighbors at Element Church is that hearts of gold are more rich than actual gold and the feeling in the end is priceless.”
“I know what it feels like coming up in a lower-middle class family,’’ said a student, who wished to remain anonymous. “Sometimes the holidays are really hard for the lower-middle and lower classes because you may have a roof over your head, but having money to spend around the holidays makes it’s very difficult.”
“I really think my peers will think this is awesome because we have all kinds of things, from necessities to wants,’’ said Tom Price, a student.