36th Annual Old People’s Christmas food drive
Group photo of some of the many volunteers of faculty, staff and students of Darlington High School during the Old People’s Christmas of 2013
Photo by Jana E. Pye
This year marks Darlington High School’s 36th Annual Old People’s Christmas food drive. Although the name may not be “politically correct”, it is a tradition with the community, and started 36 years ago, when a teacher on the DHS campus started a service project to feed elderly people in Darlington during the Christmas season. According to faculty and staff, “We are proud to say the tradition has continued and has even grown over the years.”
With the help of the community, DHS collected over $5,500 and served 118 elderly households in the Darlington area last year by collecting nonperishable food items from DHS students and other area schools as well as monetary donations from private citizens and community businesses. DHS students and faculty collect donations during the weeks prior to Christmas and then meet with members of the community and other school district employees to sort and deliver food items to those in need. This is a HUGE event that takes most of the day.
The impact this service activity has on students is one that is difficult to describe. There have been times that students leave the homes of those we have delivered to with humble hearts and tears in their eyes. There is nothing greater that man can do than to love and serve his neighbor, and DHS students learn this by participating in Old People’s Christmas.
Of course, those served are also impacted. Imagine being elderly and on a very limited and fixed income. Now imagine having to choose between heat, medicine, or food. Imagine your parents or grandparents having to make that decision. This is reality for many. What a bright spot we can be to elderly members of our community who find themselves having to make that choice.
DHS would like to continue this tradition and help elderly members of our community. To do this, we are in need of monetary donations to help raise the money needed to purchase the food and household items we provide. If you would like to make a donation, please send your contribution directly to the high school. Checks should be made payable to Darlington High School (with a memo notation for the Old People’s Christmas Fund), and cash donations should be made directly to the high school.
Please contact Debra Wallace at 843-398-2796 or Ginger Hendricks at 843-398-2724 if you have questions or need further information.
The actual date of the event will be Saturday December 12. Please give generously to this most important event!
