Sparta students pass along some cheer to Newark youngsters

Sparta - H2H peer leaders at the Sparta Middle School, in conjunction with Pass It Along, collected and packaged holiday gifts for three elementary school classes in Newark. The gifts were combined with others to provide 2,000 inner-city students in Newark a happier holiday season. The process of packing the gifts has become an annual event for the H2H members. They sort the collected gifts, and then spread them out in the back of the cafeteria. Next, each member takes a large shopping bag that has been pre-labeled with the name of the receiving student. The H2H members select toys and games that are appropriate for the age and gender of their student. Finally the bags are decorated, sealed and sent off to Pass It Along. H2H has ongoing projects throughout the school year. Current projects include collecting children’s books for Project Self-Sufficiency, developing an afternoon game session for the younger students, and continuing the work that was started at the recent Teen Summit.