Children Giving to Children: Holy Trinity School holds Toy Drive for LRCS

Holy Trinity 1st Grade students present their toy drive to Erin Pettengill, Director of the Family Resource Center. The toys were collected for area children participating in the annul Family Fund Night event at LRCS.

The staff at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Laconia are committed to building empathy in their students. On the morning of Dec. 7, Maryann McNeil’s first grade class joyfully demonstrated that empathy when her students delivered toys to Lakes Region Community Services (LRCS) Family Resource Center.

The toy drive, a service project spearheaded by McNeil’s class, was actually a schoolwide effort.  Families from Holy Trinity’s Pre K-8th grade school donated new and used toys to the drive. And those stuffed animals, picture books, board games, and more will be available to children who participate in the “penny sale” at the Family Resource Center’s Family Fun Night holiday event on December 11.

McNeil, who has worked with the Family Resource Center in its Giggles n Grins playgroup and parent education program, finds the Holy Trinity/LRCS connection to be a perfect fit for the Holy Trinity students. “I think it is a wonderful project of empathy and kindness and I know the toys and items go towards a wonderful service LRCS runs for families who participate in Family Resource Center programs.”

Erin Pettengill, Family Resource Center Director, knows that without donations from Holy Trinity and other generous neighbors and friends, Family Fun Night would not be a success. One of the highlights of the night is allowing children to ‘buy’ gifts for their family members. “The experience of children choosing and giving a present for other children is a gift in itself. The Holy Trinity staff, students, and families are truly making Christmas magic for the families we serve,” commented Pettengill.