Every year, RBHS Student Council works with Rock Bridge Elementary to create a list of families for the Adopt-A-Child program. This program identifies families from Rock Bridge Elementary who could use extra help to make the holiday season special. RBHS clubs and students can choose a child and turn their gifts and donations in to the activities office by Friday, Dec. 13.
“We get a list of kids from Rock Bridge Elementary, kids who wouldn’t otherwise get much, if anything, for Christmas, [then] we distribute those lists out throughout the clubs and they ‘adopt’ one of those kids,” RBHS student council president Jack Schimpf said. [The clubs] “raise money and go purchase the things they asked for then wrap them and get them ready for delivery.”
After her experience participating with a different club last year, junior Betsy Poehlman chose to adopt a child again. For Poehlman, this year brings an opportunity to participate in Adopt-A-Child with a new club. Poehlman and the German Honor Society, chose to adopt a little girl.
“Since GHS is a small club I knew we couldn’t afford to do a big expensive gift, like electronics, so I chose someone that wanted many different little stuff,” Poehlman said. “We just got individual people to get an item that was on her list.”
Poehlman purchased two stuffed animals for her club’s family. During finals week, club representatives and student council members will take the gifts over to RBE to give to the children and family. Both Poehlman and Schimpf both look forward to seeing their adopted children’s reaction to receiving their gifts.
“I’ve done it for two years now,” Schimpf said, “and it’s always great to go over and see the smiles on their faces when they open the presents.”
By Emily Franke