Children wrap charitably

Jeff Benson

Candice Richards was stuck in a rut, moving from foster home to

foster home throughout her childhood. She lived where she could,

sometimes in cars or on the street.

Now she’s an eighth-grade teacher at TeWinkle Middle School, and

for the last three years she’s recruited her students to provide

gifts for children who wouldn’t otherwise get to open any presents

over the holidays.

“I know what some of these kids are going through,” she said. “I

want them to know it’s OK. They can still go to college and overcome

their hardships.”

About 25 students met in her classroom Thursday to finish wrapping

nearly 100 “hope chests,” or shoeboxes filled with toys and personal

items that needy children can enjoy and use.

Richards will donate them today to Olive Crest Homes & Services

for Abused Children, which provides shelter, care and professional

treatment for children and their families on the West Coast.

“Mentors have told me that 18-year-old boys have never seen a

Christmas tree or received a gift,” she said. “It breaks my heart.”

For three years, TeWinkle staff and students have helped Richards

wrap boxes. They wrapped 300 boxes last year, but she said the effort

blew so far out of proportion that it lost the personal meaning it

had in 2002, which was the first year her class made the donations.

“I just wanted to keep the meaning for me personal,” she said.

“It’s just my way of giving back to foster care.”

Olive Crest director of community involvement Amanda Hughes said

some of the children, often 16 and 17 years old, have never received

a gift in their entire lives.

“What an amazing gesture to receive something from someone that

doesn’t even know them,” Hughes said. “All of the gifts that our

children receive at Christmas demonstrate that there are people that

care about them.”

Students Thursday sat at their desks or on the floor wrapping

boxes, sorting them by gender and age group and packing them into

larger boxes. Richards planned to deliver them today to Olive Crest’s

Santa Ana branch.

Storm Hagen, 13, helped out by donating pens, pencils, small

radios, disposable cameras, candy and gum for 10 children. He also

tossed in Christmas cards and more than 50 toothbrushes.

“We just won’t get some Christmas gifts because we sacrificed them

for other people,” said Storm, who admitted his parents probably paid

more than $100 for the items. “I’ll just get less this Christmas. But

it’s nice to give to other people.”

Stephanie Burciaga, 13, said she couldn’t afford to purchase

anything but still wanted to help.

“I started wrapping presents and checking inside to make sure they

were safe for the kids,” Stephanie said. “You still feel really good

even if you don’t bring any presents, because you know you’re

contributing to something.

“I’m not hoping for anything in return. I know that on Christmas

I’ll be warm and have presents to open. Some kids won’t.”