Every Christmas season, the Prep community helps less fortunate families through a program called “Adopt-a-Family.” Through this program, each homeroom is paired up with a member of a family who does not have the economic means to provide a full Christmas for their kids.  Each homeroom is given information regarding their kid to help the teacher buy gifts that he or she may want.  Students then donate to this “Adopt-a-Family” fund and the teacher shops for gifts.  My homeroom, 4G, is paired with a 9 year old boy whose favorite colors are blue and red and clothing size is small/medium.    

            Centered in Jersey City, Prep is a prominent and known school in the area that prides itself on giving back to the community that it calls its own.  I am sure many families are still recovering from the flooding of Hurricane Sandy, considering Prep just re-opened its basement classrooms that many people worked tirelessly on.  Providing these kids with Christmas gifts will definitely bring a smile to their face and joy to their hearts.  The parents of these families, who are working hard to provide their family with a roof over their head and food, will most definitely be happy that Prep has helped them provide presents for their family when they might not have had the money to spend. 

            Ms. Toomb informed us that 39 students and 11 parents donated their time to wrap 364 gifts for the 49 people we sponsored this year. This was the highest total of gifts ever at Prep! Additionally, Prep collected $1275 in grocery store gift certificates, and thanks to Mr. Locricchio’s wife, Claudia, the school was also able to give each family a set of tickets to “Disney on Ice”. At its core, “Adopt-a-Family” is a program that speaks a lot about Prep and its attitude on giving back and helping others. Helping other is a key component of being the best person you can be and a true man for others.