With Christmas just around the corner, spirits are high, and it is the season of giving. After a year full of so many challenges, it is extra important to students to give back to their classmates during the holiday season.

The Christmas tree that is located by the front office isn’t just for decoration. The angels that are on the tree each have a specific item written on them. Students are able to take one of these angels, and purchase the item. The item that they purchase is then donated directly to a student whose family needs a bit of help purchasing gifts this year.

“I think that the school is doing a really great thing by having the tree, because it’s so important to give back to your community, especially during Christmas time,” sophomore Abigail Sturdevant says. “I think the best part is knowing that you made someone else’s Christmas a little better.”

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers have shown that they are willing to spend more on gifts in order to lift the spirits of friends and those in their communities after such a challenging year. The NRF believes that there is a psychological factor involved in which people believe that after everything that everyone has been through this year, they will be more willing to give back to their communities.

“With the COVID pandemic going on, I think that people definitely should be willing to give back more than previous years,” Sturdevant says. “It’s more important than ever, after such a bad year.”

Due to the pandemic, the unemployment rate is higher than ever. As reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one in three adults nationwide are having difficulty covering usual household expenses. That is 5,920,000 adults in Florida, and those adults with children are more likely to report difficulty paying for usual expenses. With a pandemic still going on, and Christmas just over a week away, it’s harder for more parents than ever to put food on the table, let alone buy their children Christmas presents.

“COVID has affected a lot of families, and Christmas should be one thing that is normal, or maybe even better than usual,” senior Tarik White says. “A lot of people have been put in situations that aren’t so ideal because of it, and the tree lets us at least help out our fellow students.”

Students are showing a positive and enthusiastic attitude about giving back to their peers through the tree. Taking the time to give during the Christmas holiday can make a big impact, especially after a difficult year. Thanks to generous students and the administration, students are able to have their needs met anonymously.

“It feels good knowing that my school is helping out students and their families,” White says. “I hope that having this tree in our school is going to help make students’ Christmas better.”