National Honor Society, SADD bring joy to children for Christmas

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Perhaps like never before, at least in recent memory, have there been such awesome acts of caring and sharing as there was last Wednesday morning on Cherry Hill.

What some people called “great acts of giving” came from a group of Johnston High School undergrads who head Students Against Dangerous Decision (SADD) and the Panthers chapter of the National Honor Society.

“We have some great kids here at Johnston High,” said Greg Russo, a JHS faculty member who serves as the popular advisor for both student organizations. “It’s Christmas … many did these kids really show what they are made of today.”

In recent weeks, student leaders of SADD and the JHS Chapter of the National Honor Society banned together and began working with officials from the Tri-County Community Action Agency in hopes of making Christmas merry for children from needy families.

Both JHS groups, everyone from Russo to the staffers at the Tri-County Agency, began a program whereby each student would anonymously adopt at least one family, and in some cases more, and agreed to purchase Christmas gifts for children.

“Now this [act of giving] tells you there’s something special about each and every one of these students,” said Jeff Cicchitelli, a Johnston Police Patrolman who also serves as the Resource Officer at JHS. “I can’t believe how many gifts are there.”

After a brief exchange of thank yous, representatives of the Tri-County Community Action Agency began loading the many gifts, each of which looked as though it had been professionally wrapped but was actually done so by each of the participating students, into their respective vehicles to begin what was later some heart-warming deliveries.

“Think about this for a moment, please,” Russo told several passers-by inside the JHS main lobby where students and Tri-County officials met. “Here are two small groups of high school students who went out and purchased Christmas gifts for children from families in need. That should speak volumes about what our kids are doing here at JHS.”

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