The holiday season is a time for giving, and the students at Pascack Hills High School are fully into the holiday spirit. Around the holidays, PHHS students take part in multiple drives and charity events to help those in need.

Students take part in food drives, present drives for Gilda’s, and around the holidays, contribute to the Homes for Our Troops Foundation.

All of these charity events show how dedicated the students at Pascack Hills are to helping those less fortunate in the community in any and every way that they can.

Recently, the student body has taken part in a school-wide food drive to benefit those less fortunate. The drive was organized by Hills’ Interact club, which arranges multiple charity drives throughout the year.

Senior Amanda Eisenberg describes, “This year’s food drive was the most successful one we’ve ever had. Two of the school’s custodians were kind enough to make not one, but several trips to the [Helping Hands Food pantry]. The sheer amount of food the school collected was really amazing, and it helped feed so many families over the holiday season.”

As a collective whole, the students at Pascack Hills High School have come together to donate a large sum of food to the Helping Hands Food pantry located in Hillsdale.

In addition to Interact’s food drive, TAC organized a present drive along with a trip to Gilda’s to help the less fortunate around the holiday season.

PHHS students spend Gilda’s Holiday Party playing with children who unfortunately have to spend the holiday without their families and give them gifts that made them truly feel the holiday spirit.

Although not all students were able to attend the holiday party, all were welcome to donate gifts through the present drive, which collects hundreds of gifts every year to bring to the party.

Through spending time with children and donating gifts, TAC members and all students at Hills do a great job in giving a helping hand during the holidays.

During the holiday season, the SGA helps support the Homes for Our Troops foundation, which provides homes to veterans of the United States armed forces.

This worthwhile cause donates money, building materials, and professional labor to provide freedom and independence in the form of a new home to those who have served for our country for no material reward.

The contributions taken during the early holiday season don’t lose value once they are given; instead, they are lifelong contributions to the troops.

From Veterans Day all the way through Christmas, students at PHHS always help the community. There are many ways in which this is done, and all of these drives and activities truly get the less fortunate into the holiday spirit.

Thank you to all of the students who have participated in any of the drives, and happy holidays!