December 22, 2004
Holiday presents surprise students
WSH staff presents $50 gift certificates to students in need
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
In the counseling office Friday afternoon, Kelly was handed an envelope. Opening it, the senior at Traverse City West High School was astonished by its contents: a $50 gift certificate to the Grand Traverse Mall.
"It was a surprise, it was wonderful," Kelly said.
Kelly had never heard of the school's Christmas Certificate Program before but she was thrilled to receive one. She planned to use the money to buy a Christmas present for her parents.
The Christmas Certificate program began eight years ago when Traverse City West High School began, said school social worker Barb Vinocur. She and Chris Esper, the school librarian, got it going and announced it to the staff. From a modest beginning of a few certificates, the program has grown to 24 $50 gift certificates given out this year.
"It has just been growing every year," Vinocur said. "It truly is everybody; one teacher told me it was the thing she liked best about West."
Every November, anyone who works in the building - teachers, administrative staff, custodians, security and cafeteria workers - is invited to contribute. This year the call went out to 135 staff members at the school, who contributed $1,560, a record for the program.
The amounts donated per person range from a few dollars to larger amounts of money. No matter the size, each contribution boosts the total that goes to students in need.
When she made her purchase last week, Vinocur was charged a standard administrative fee of $1.50 per certificate. Since then, she has successfully convinced the mall manager to reimburse these fees, which totaled $36.
The fund also received $160 that came in after Vinocur purchased the gift certificates. She put this money into a 'slush' fund to dip into throughout the year and help students buy a pair of shoes or gym clothes or access emergency dental care. Things they otherwise could not afford.
Over the years, the student recipients of a Christmas Certificate often use the money to buy gifts for family members. Other times they purchase necessities for themselves, such as clothes, winter coats or shoes.
Vinocur said that, like Kelly, the students are totally surprised by the gift. Some students break into tears while others are speechless when they open the envelope, which were distributed late last week.
"The response from the kids is that they are dumbfounded," said Vinocur, who has been a social worker in the district for 17 years. "Fifty dollars to these kids, they can't believe the figure; to them it is like $500."
Vinocur asks staff for recommendations on gift certificate recipients, opening it up to special education students as well. From those names, she chooses the students who receive the certificate. The criteria are not simply financial need; sometimes a student who has been going through a rough time in life will receive one.
"For them, just knowing that somebody has thought about them and cares about them is enough," she noted.
Casha, a senior at the school, received her certificate Friday afternoon. Expecting a baby any day now, she said the money would help purchase necessities for her son.
"The baby stuff, it adds up," she said, adding her surprise and gratitude at the gift from staff. "It's surprising that they care enough to do this, it's just overwhelming that they did this."
The gift certificates can also help kids keep up with their peers, a sensitive point at their age. Kids don't like to talk about or admit poverty, Vinocur said. It is a touchy subject and many students in need scramble to maintain a pretense of living a middle class life.
"They work hard at not looking like they live in poverty," she said.