Early on the snowy, Saturday morning of Dec. 15, 2007, about 300 Benet Academy students, some of their teachers and a handful mothers with the roles of designated drivers came in to school for the annual Christmas Drive Shopping Day. After attending a prayer service, the students were organized into action by teachers Elizabeth Byers, Patrick Doyle, Michael Macaluso, Charles Schumacher, Catherine Bruining, Joseph Cabay, Susan Vodraska and Debbie Eckhert. After receiving their assignments, the groups were sent off to the nearby Jewel or Target.

Each family had two to three groups of three to five students assigned to shop for them. Depending on the family’s needs, the students were sent either to Jewel, for food and household supplies, or to Target, for clothes and Christmas presents. As shoppers, the students put themselves in the shoes of the family they were shopping for. They searched for the best deals and bargains in the stores, trying to make the most of what they had to spend. There were a few special requests that the families had made, but students also had to envision what else each member of the family would, based on their age and other information given.

The upperclassmen were sent to Target, where the girls were in their element while shopping for clothes, an experience made more enjoyable because they knew they were not shopping for themselves but for those who really needed a new pair of jeans or a warm set of pajamas for the winter. Some of their male counterparts were a little bit lost in the clothing department but showed their strength in the toy aisles, knowing immediately which toys were “cool” while dismissing others as “boring.”

The lowerclassmen were sent to Jewel, where students had to take up the responsibility of stocking the pantry for the holiday season. Though it was easier to come up with a list of the items needed, students had to do some quick calculating to make sure they were getting the best deal. Deciding whether to buy the known brand name or the store brand was just another task the students tackled, along with maneuvering their shopping carts in the store aisles and making sure they did not get in the way of other shoppers.

Christmas Drive Shopping Day was a great success, but not just because of the enthusiasm of the student volunteers. The teachers were always nearby to give advice and directions to bewildered shoppers. Store workers helped students with hard-to-find items, and the stores opened special checkout lanes just for the Christmas Drive shoppers.

Armed with their merchandise and a fresh roll of wrapping paper, the students returned to the school for pizza and a gift-wrapping extravaganza. Some students were experts with scissors and tape, creating beautifully wrapped masterpieces while their classmates looked on in awe. For others, gift-wrapping was a battle against objects of awkward shapes as the enemy, with ripped paper littering the battlefield.

As soon as everything was sorted or wrapped, the students went out into the cold again to deliver the items to the families. The people were overwhelmed, grateful and very thankful as the platoon of students bearing gifts knocked on their door. This was the most touching and eye-opening part for the students. Many were not aware of the number of people in their own backyards who are in such need while they themselves are blessed with everything that they need and more. Some of the people have large families all living in a single apartment, while others could not afford presents for their own children to place under the Christmas tree.

The Christmas Drive shoppers came away from the experience humbled, more aware and more appreciative of their own blessings. There were tears shining in the eyes of both the givers and the receivers as they parted ways, and the true spirit of Christmas shone brightly in all.