Grosse Pointe Students Show Generosity

The generosity of Grosse Pointe students is clear, says Alicia Carlisle, the coordinator for SERVE of . 

Every year students show their compassion and generosity, she said, noting how they do not question whether they will participate but simply do it without questions or prodding. 

The same was true this holiday season, Carlisle said. 

Each of the Grosse Pointe Public Schools participate in building-wide efforts to help those in need. The project is selected on a building-by-building basis and many smaller internal efforts are also pursued. 

One of the more established and favorite of many employees is the Adopt-A-Family program at . The program was started several years ago by a teacher, Barry Mulso, and has continued. This year's program was organized by Patrick Hicks. 

Each class "adopts" a family in need and they begin compiling all of the family's needs from clothing to food to toys and presents. The gifts are topped off with a grocery store gift card and front-door delivery by the students.

Another effort this year involved students from and several elementary schools, in which students gathered hats, gloves and scarves for cancer patients. The donations were donated to and included winter accessories for both adults and children, Carlisle said.

Meanwhile, a tree in South's library strung with tags by the Salvation Army to benefit families at the Warren Shelter was cleared so fast by students the organization returned to replenish the tags, librarian Courtney McGuire said.

The shelter has been fully occupied for quite a while, she said, and the idea for the giving tree came after Carlisle's in which dozens of organization's feature their volunteer opportunities.

It was the first year the library had the tree but it was such a success, it will be an annual tradition, McGuire said. The tree was strung with 200 tickets initially but those were claimed so quickly by students, Salvation Army officials were asked to return with more. About 300 were claimed in all, she said. Most asked for a donation of $25 or that much in goods, some were for more, McGuire said.

In addition to the many students taking the tags and purchasing gifts, a group of students helped wrap those gifts that were submitted without wrapping and helped Salvation Army officials load the truck.

Carlisle said she knows there are many more examples of generosity district-wide. In January she plans to start tracking such efforts. Her office is a resource for students who are looking for volunteer or other opporutnities, so often when a class or school is looking for where to donate, they seek ideas there, she said.

There are many efforts made by students in the private schools too.

Star of the Sea kicked off the season with its annual canned/dry food drive on Halloween. The day the students bring in their donation, the food it delivered to the gym one classroom at a time and made into a castle.

Several families from the Grosse Pointes took time during Thanksgiving break to prepare and serve spaghetti to homeless people at Cass Community Social Services in Detroit, spokeswoman Patti Theros.