Schools
Dakota’s NHS Sponsors Holiday Party for 76 Macomb County Homeless Children
Children invited to "A Christmas Carol" will play games, enjoy lunch, make crafts, visit with Santa, and receive gifts.
A holiday party for a very deserving group of children is in the works at Dakota High School.
The school’s National Honor Society is planning – and paying for – a party the members affectionately call, "A Christmas Carol," although there won’t be any Ebenzer Scrooge’s at this event. The guest list is comprised of 76 children, ages three months through 16 years, along with 40 Dakota NHS volunteers.
Invitations were sent to homeless families registered through the Macomb Intermediate School District, as well as Turning Point and other shelters.
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Besides 70 Hungry Howies pizzas, the kids will enjoy veggie and fruit trays, cookies and drinks. They’ll also complete holiday crafts and decorate cupcakes. Later, they will burn off all the sugary treats by jumping in a bounce house, and climbing an inflatable slide. The schools’s basketball courts will also be open.
Although Kris Kringle himself will deliver gifts, the presents were purchased by the NHS for every child at the event. “It takes four cars to bring them (the gifts) back to Dakota,” said Jackie Piscopink, who runs the NHS along with Kristen Avey.
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Santa will read “The Night Before Christmas” and NHS students will sing Christmas carols.
This is the second year that NHS has sponsored the party.
“We have the event for a couple of reasons: Macomb County’s homeless numbers have been on the rise and NHS wanted to be sure these kids have some fun around the holidays,” Piscopink said. “They (Dakota students) leave knowing they made a difference in these children’s holidays.”
Besides gifts, goodies and a great time, Piscopink said she hopes the children invited to the event also leave feeling a connection to the community.
Members of the community can help Dakota support local families in need through donations to the school's food pantry, or Cougar Closet.
The pantry is housed in the Freshman Center and open to all Macomb County residents. Non-perishable goods or toiletries can be left at the Freshman Center's front desk.
