Lakes High students, staff helping needy families

Lakes Community High School senior James McIntyre lives in a group home and doesn't have a relationship with his biological parents.

But McIntyre's personal situation, which certainly would be overwhelming for many people, isn't keeping him from thinking of others this holiday season. He bought and donated a new pair of children's boots to the Lake Villa school's second annual holiday gift drive, an effort that will benefit needy families through Antioch's Open Arms Mission.

McIntyre also was among the student volunteers who helped wrapped and organize more than 300 donated presents - an array so big it dominated the floor space in the school's front office.

"I just feel that all the gifts I touch here will touch somebody else," said McIntyre, 17. "I want other people to have a merry Christmas."

The school collected gifts for about a dozen families, filling requests for boots, coats, blankets, Chicago White Sox sweatshirts and other items. Several campus groups, such as the student council and the girls basketball teams, conducted their own gift drives for Open Arms, too.

"It's very heartwarming," said event organizers Evie Amelio, the school's switchboard receptionist. "You see students that themselves are not from wealthy families and might be struggling, and they're still coming in to help. That's the true meaning of Christmas, to give and to help others."

Senior Andrew Dooley, who helped label and organize the packages, was surprised by the amount of student participation.

"I had heard that people had turned in presents, but when I walked in here I didn't expect to see this many," Dooley said. "It's nice to see we're having that much of an impact on families in the local area."

Organizers will deliver the brightly wrapped packages to Open Arms Friday. Mission workers then will distribute the gifts to families.

Lake Villa resident Susan Hannum, whose son, Morgan, is a freshman at Lakes, donated adult clothes, kids sweatshirts, toys and a dish set to the drive. She felt it was important to participate.

"We live in a nice area," Hannum said. "Not everybody grasps the concept that there are a lot of people who are much less fortunate."