Playing Santa for family in need brings home the true meaning of Christmas to Saint Joseph CHS students

Friday, Dec. 23, 2016

OGDEN — A family of 11 will have a merrier Christmas this year than they likely would have, because of the help of the Saint Joseph Catholic High School community. 

To make the holidays brighter for the family, the St. Joseph CHS students took on the task of shopping for presents and wrapping them to donate to the family. 

Though seemingly a fairly simple task, shopping for the family was a unique experience, said Kari Lane, SJCHS director of admissions, alumni and marketing. With nine children ranging in age from 1 to 23 and two adults in the family, it was a tall order to fill for the school, said Lane. 

To accomplish the task, the wish lists for the 11 people were divided among the four grades. Students began work earlier this month to sub for Santa.

The freshman class took charge of the project to show some Christian love to a family in need, said Lane.

One freshman in particular, Savannah Beckstead, not only didn’t shy away from the challenge, but encouraged her classmates to do more, Lane said 

“It’s important for everyone to do their part,” said Beckstead, who created an Excel spreadsheet that served as a sign-up sheet to ensure each student in her freshman class would donate the money needed to buy everything that the class was assigned. 

Beckstead said that she wanted everyone in her class to do all they could to make their sponsored family’s Christmas a merry one.

“The Christmas season is about giving, but sometimes we make it about taking,” said Beckstead, adding that she felt a responsibility for those who were not as fortunate as she is, who can’t afford Christmas presents that kids like her sometimes take for granted. 

That attitude of taking instead of giving can change, and “taking over Santa’s job” is one way to do that, said Noah Banks, SJCHS theology teacher. “This year, we’re taking over Santa’s job.”

The true meaning of Christmas is the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as a baby on Earth, Banks pointed out, but “this season should be a time of great joy” because of this miracle, he said. “It’s so important in a kid’s life to have Christmas.”

And a part of Christmas, he said, is the simple joy of receiving and giving gifts to friends and loved ones. Those without the means to give these gifts can miss some of the happiness of Christmas time, Banks said.

“It’s important to take advantage of [Christmas time], a time of giving,” he said.

That’s the reason students from St. Joseph CHS went shopping on Dec. 14 for presents for their sponsored family and, on Dec. 16, held a wrapping party to prepare the gifts. 

They chose to sponsor a family from South Salt Lake as a way of feeling more connected with the diocese, Lane said; because they are much farther away from the diocese’s center in Salt Lake City, they sometimes feel disconnected from playing an active role, she said.

“For us, it’s all about teaching what our blessings are,” said Lane. “I want the (students) to feel like they can make a difference.”