While teachers try to tie up their lessons as neatly as they can, students are trudging to their classes, counting down the last days of their week. Meanwhile, the lines of parents grow longer each day as students try to get picked up early. Among all of this, many of Miami Palmetto Senior High’s clubs and teams have been spreading their kind of holiday joy.
To bring in their way of giving, the Palmetto Animal Welfare Society, directed by Pre-Advanced Placement and AP Language and Composition teacher Loni Perse, collects and donates food to the Humane Society’s food pantry every holiday season.
“The Humane Society of North Miami has a pantry, and we filled the pantry with dog and cat food for underprivileged individuals, people who can’t afford to feed their animals during this time of year,” Perse said.
Perse, as well as a team of her board of directors, came together to make this drive possible for the past two years. The holiday drive was both successful last year and this year, especially because students aim to take advantage of extra credit opportunities.
“We had a wonderful holiday drive last year, and we filled the pantry at the Humane Society in North Miami. So this is our second time doing it,” Perse said. “I think we have a better idea of how to do this. We’ve worked a little bit faster this year. I think it was a little bit more organized than last year. But it’s better doing it the second time. It’s a little smoother.”
On top of that, this drive shows a great impact on the community as well as a good representation of MPSH.
“I think [this drive] shows that we do care, even though we’re a public high school kind of miles away. [The Humane Society] is not in our neighborhood, but we care, the kids care. And I think it just makes a big impact. And I think it makes more of an impact on the kids here to realize that not everybody has the luxury of being able to run to Publix and buy food, and there are people out there who can use, can use our help, and we’re very happy to do it,” Perse said.
Along with the PAWS club’s donation drive, the girl’s basketball team, led by Coach Donnie Martin, collected and brought donated toys to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital this past Saturday.
Martin believes that through this drive, he is teaching his team a valuable lesson about the giving season.
“I understand it’s the holidays, and a lot of people want to take, but I want to teach my girls how to give, and how less fortunate people are happy to receive,” Martin said.
Much of the organization of this drive was done in part by senior and center Alessandra Falcon and senior Zerabelle Carter have also led their own holiday drive. Falcon handled the organization, while Carter handled advertising the drive to MPSH’s student body.
“You know, when I said we were going to do it, she [Carter] went and got the girls ready, and it was just a go from there,” Martin said.
The drive had a great turnout, and the team found themselves carrying a lot more toys than expected.
“It was over two-three thousand dollars worth of stuff. We had three vehicles. My pickup truck was full and two other vehicles were full of toys,” Martin said.
When the team donated the gifts, the joy from the residents at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital was unparalleled.
“It was awesome. I put a picture out on the email for all the faculty and staff to see,” Martin said.
The joy was not only shared with the hospital’s residents but with Martin and his team as well.
“I just love to see young people give, and I just love to see people bless other people, because I’m a giver, and I just love to make sure I instill that in my student-athletes,” Martin said.
