Giving of themselves

This holiday season, local students are being the change they wish to see in the world.

Youth from all walks of life have banded together to help members of the community, giving them everything from warm coats to live music.

Following are examples of benevolence by hundreds of area students.

Song and dance

Corona del Mar Middle School students performed 22 acts of poetry, music, dance and cheer at their eighth annual USO-style holiday program and brunch this month, where they treated more than 150 veterans to brunch, gifts and performances at the Long Beach Veterans Hospital.

Among the performers were the school’s cheer squad and high school madrigal choir. An army of volunteers coordinated the event, including students, teachers, parents and local businesses.

The event was poignant for one of the school’s teachers, Gary Mathieson. He returned last week from a tour of duty in Iraq.

“The student performers impressed us not only with their talent but with the compassion they showed toward the veterans,” parent Denise Banning said.

The students also took the time to speak with veterans about their experiences, and serve them in a variety of ways.

“It was inspiring and heartwarming to watch,” Banning said. “The day was rich with opportunity to give back to those who gave so much. The students definitely took advantage of that opportunity.”

Rolling up their sleeves

Fourth-grade Girl Scouts from Troop 1461 at Christ Lutheran School in Costa Mesa spent November collecting 117 men’s, women’s and children’s winter coats, which they recently presented to the nonprofit Share Our Selves as part of the One Warm Coat campaign.

In addition, students attending chapel on Wednesdays have been making financial offerings that will be used this month to buy grocery store gift cards. The cards will be distributed to the school’s neighbors in need.

Warm hearted

David Swerdlow, 13, has been collecting gently used sleeping bags and blankets to give to the local homeless community as part of his bar mitzvah project.

He was concerned that people would be sleeping on park benches and on the ground with nothing to protect them in the rain, or keep them warm.

David contacted local nonprofit Serving People in Need, which agreed to partner with him. He also began enlisting family, friends and the general public in his collection efforts.

To provide a sleeping bag or blanket, call Kim Frazier of Serving People in Need at (714) 751-1101, ext. 19.

Thinking outside the box

Children at Costa Mesa’s Mariners Christian School have a long-standing tradition of packing hundreds of shoe boxes with gifts for children around the world.

Their efforts are part of Operation Christmas Child, put on by Christian nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse.

Nearly 300 shoe boxes were collected this year, and were stuffed to the brim with goodies. For more information on the program, visit samaritanspurse.org.