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Maywood students provide gifts for homeless shelter
MAYWOOD -- Maywood kindergartners and first graders have learned that Christmas is about more than new toys and lots of presents. It's more than getting out of school for a couple of weeks.
The students of Shauna Buchfinck and Staci Vaughn have learned they are indeed fortunate, and that everyone has something they can share. They've learned the true meaning of Christmas -- thinking of and caring for others.
Instead of a traditional gift exchange among students, "Miss B" and Miss Vaughn asked each student to bring a toy or book they no longer played with or a small new gift, and they would give them to children who spend Christmas in the homeless shelter in North Platte.
Shauna said she explained to her kindergartners that some kids don't have as merry a Christmas as they do. "They responded well to that," she said.
Staci said her students were very supportive of the project. "They know they don't need more stuff," she said. "They were happy to give some things away."
The gifts are to be given to "The Lincoln Connection," the homeless shelter at 511 North Jeffers in North Platte.
Beth DeFreece, shelter supervisor and case worker, said there are eight children living in the shelter now.
The shelter is 10 years old and is operated by a 12-member board that also oversees "The Thrift Connection," a thrift store at 422 S. Sixth; and "The Health Connection," a free health clinic at the shelter, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., each Thursday.
DeFreece said the men's dorm houses 19 and the women's dorm five. Apartments are available for four families.
The shelter will serve a big Christmas dinner in the afternoon. Some gifts -- such as those from the Maywood students and from families and organizations who have "adopted" shelter residents -- have been donated, "and we'll play 'Santa' and take those gifts to the children," DeFreece said.
DeFreece said land has been purchased on which to build a new shelter. "It'll be away from busy streets and it will have a yard for the children," she said. "But it's a couple years down the road yet."
Miss Vaughn's first graders wrapped their gifts in wrapping paper they designed and made themselves.
Five-year-old kindergartner Tucker Hartley fumbled with a piece of sticky tape as he lay on top of the scrunched-up green-and-red paper that he wrapped around strings of pop-beads he no longer plays with. He said he knows the kids in the shelter "have less toys than us."
Six-year-old Erica Peters said she's giving away her book, " 'cause, see, uhmmm, their parents don't have enough money to get them toys."
Erica says, "It's good to share."