Bringing holiday happiness to Harding

YOUNGSTOWN

Harding Elementary School families will be able to do some holiday “shopping” at the school Tuesday.

First-grade teacher Shannon Sefcik organized the Harding Holiday Shop to help school families.

“We collected donated items from staff - and others in the community - of gently used items and some new items for the parents to shop through for Christmas,” she said. “We collected toys, kitchen items and anything that someone might donate to the Goodwill. Instead of them donating those items some place else, I asked them to consider donating to our ‘shop.’”

The shop will be open in the school cafeteria between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. All of the items in the shop are free to Harding families.

Sefcik has enlisted the help of her friends and family to set up and operate the shop.

“East High School is bringing over 32 students from Mr. [John] Thompson's class to help set up and take down the items,” she said.

Because the shop opens just 20 minutes after Harding’s last lunch period, getting everything ready is a big task. Sefcik’s sister, Amy Brown, took the day off work to pitch in with the shop and Sefcik’s friend, Robin Wells, will help too.

Any items left when the shop closes will be donated to area social service organizations.

Last school year, Sefcik worked with Second Harvest Food Bank and other organizations to develop a food pantry at Harding, the first such pantry opened in a YCSD school building and operated by YCSD personnel.

The pantry will be up and running Tuesday too so families who need it can take home some food staples.