In conjunction with The Nurturing Center, a local organization that has provided parenting and child development programs for over 16 years, Hammond Middle School and Beta Club have elected to participate in a fall altruistic mission called Project Holiday Joy.

Every year, Project Holiday Joy provides Christmas gifts for families receiving treatment at the Nurturing Center in downtown Columbia. This year, Hammond has been assigned four families with a total of 20 children ranging from "due in fall" to ten years old. In order to help provide gifts for these families, participating middle school students will be fundraising by performing some type of community service. "We want the students to feel a personal connection to this project," say faculty sponsors Sally Aldridge and Peta Miller. "The meaningful forfeit of one's personal time embodies the spirit of giving much more the just adding money to the pot."

Participating students are challenged to raise a minimum of $5 for each hour of community service they provide. Students may have a single sponsor or more who are willing to donate money for services rendered such as raking leaves, babysitting, wrapping gifts, collecting cans, etc. The money that is raised will then be used to purchase items specified by the Nurturing Center and marked for the families assigned to Hammond.

For more information about The Nurturing Center's Project Holiday Joy or community service projects at Hammond School, see the contact information below:
The Nurturing Center: 803.771.4160
Community Service at Hammond: http://www.hammondschool.org/community_service.html