To many, the holiday season is about giving back.  On December 16, Mayfield’s sixth grade student council bought thousands of dollars worth of clothes, food and household necessities at Target to donate to Providence House, a children’s crisis nursery.

When children, from newborns to ten years old, are facing family crisis, Providence House is the light at the end of the tunnel. Some parents are unable to care for their children; obstacles such as illness, drug or alcohol addiction, or homelessness can prevent parents from taking sufficient care of their children. They can take their kids to Providence House, where they receive food, clothing, care, and education. Founded in 1981, Providence House temporarily houses children while their parents or guardians get back on their feet. Here, children receive three meals and two snacks each day, attend school, celebrate any holidays they would normally celebrate at home, do arts, crafts and other activities, and take the occasional trip to the zoo or museum.

According to Providence House’s 2015 statistics, they housed 272 kids, served 11,223 meals and 7,482 snacks, changed 23,625 diapers, and provided 1,360 outfits. Providence House can house up to 20 children at a time with the average stay being 20 days, but each stay can range anywhere from 24 hours to 60 days. Because of all of these children and all of their needs, donations and volunteers are crucial for Providence House to run smoothly.

Every year, Mayfield’s sixth grade student council goes to Target in Eastgate Mall and spends thousands of dollars on food, clothing, toys, bedding, vacuums, baby products, and backpacks to donate to Providence House. This year, 38 students attended the trip and spent $2500 raised through bake sales, fundraisers, and Spirit Week donations. This tradition was inherited by the current student council advisers, who added in the shopping to allow students to get more involved in the process. Previously, money raised for Providence House was just sent to them as check.

When asked what her favorite thing about these trips was, co-student council advisor Mrs. Bean says, “I really like watching kids work with a budget.” She describes a moment when she watched as a group of sixth graders conversed about price, quality, and quantity of crib sheets. This experience opens up a new opportunity for students to learn how to budget, as well as shop for others, requiring one to think of others’ wants and needs in the process.

The shopping typically lasts two to three hours, then, following lunch, the MMS Student Council travels by bus to Providence House, located in Ohio City.

On arrival, students are given refreshments, provided with an overview of the history and purpose of Providence House, and then taken on a tour before unloading all of the goods purchased at Target from the bus into the basement of Providence House.

Through engaging young adults in an opportunity to give back, Mayfield Middle School was able to help donate to a good cause and foundation while also teaching children to be grateful and to help others.