Adults aren’t the only ones volunteering their time to help hundreds of children receive gifts on Christmas morning.
Kids are helping kids, too.
On Tuesday night, members of the Seymour Middle School student council wrapped presents in preparation for the Jackson County Sertoma Club Christmas Miracle.
Since Dec. 2, volunteers have helped put together gift boxes for more than 730 Jackson County kids and served more than 265 families for Christmas. The organization is expecting to serve more than 800 kids and 300 families by Christmas Eve.
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Last year, more than 700 Jackson County children received gifts through the project.
Evah Snyder, 12, said she wanted to give back this holiday season, which is why she volunteered despite having a snow day off from school.
"I just wanted to do something for the community," Snyder said. "It’s important to do this because the families that can’t afford much for their kids, it gives them an opportunity to get their kids the gifts that they want."
Snyder worked on wrapping gifts with classmate Kelan Yates.
"I had never wrapped presents before. I am just learning how," Yates, 12, said. "You get to help families that don’t have much. I would do it again."
The Christmas project has steadily grown over the past 40 years since WJCD listeners first bought gifts for kids that made requests on the local radio station.
Individuals, including walk-ins, volunteer for the project along with church groups, school groups, businesses and industries.
"We feel very strongly that children need to be served during the Christmas season," Christmas Mircale co-chairman John Fox said.
"Families sometimes have to make decisions between heat, food and Christmas gifts. We want to help with that decision," he said. "I can’t think of anything that tells that they belong to the community more than this. It tells underprivileged kids that the community is looking out for them and they are a valued member of the community."
While a steady stream of donations have come in, Fox said a final push needs to be made as far as gifts coming from Angel Trees go.
Sertoma Christmas Angel Trees can be found at the Jackson County Public Library, Jackson County Visitor Center and Shoe Sensation in Seymour.
Each angel includes a child’s name, their age and two choices of toys. You can help the program by picking up an angel or two from a tree, buying the gifts and then returning them unwrapped to Sertoma Christmas Miracle Headquarters in Suite 209 at Shops at Seymour, 357 Tanger Blvd.
"The angels are not coming off the trees as fast as we would like," Fox said. "That’s sort of a perennial problem, but people are still very generous in their buying. It just seems like there is not quite as many people taking angels and buying gifts as usual."
Fox said they plan on taking donations until 4 p.m. Friday at the headquarters.
Applications for toys and monetary donations may be sent to Sertoma at Box 841, Seymour, IN 47274. Applications and donations also may be dropped off at the headquarters.
Matt Lorenzo of Sertoma helped run the headquarters for the first time Tuesday evening.
"I think it brings a sense of awareness that not everyone is blessed to the same degree," he said. "It’s good to give back however you can, whether it’s buying and donating gifts or coming in and wrapping to help with delivery."
Hours of operation at the headquarters are from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Willow Nowland, 12, said she plans on coming back to help in the future, and she wants more of her friends to come next year.
"It has been a really fun experience," she said. "We’re helping the community by giving to kids in need gifts. It’s really fun. You get to meet new students and help the community."
On Christmas Eve morning, Fox estimates around 200 volunteers will help drop off toys. Drop-offs start at 7:30 a.m., and coffee, juice and doughnuts will be available for people before they pick up their boxes of toys to deliver.