Complaining is a common way for teens to express their opinions. Around this time last year, many students complained about the lack of attention given to ITSOG and especially to the agencies that the school donated the items to.

ITSOG—“In the Spirit of Giving”—is a week at WCA dedicated to donating items to local agencies from homeless shelters and food pantries to ministries that aid in the foster care process. Last year was WCA’s first year in the new campus, and students were quick to complain about the difficulty in seeing exactly where their donated items were going. This year it has been made very clear where the goods from each day of giving went.

For the last couple weeks, Tim Holley, Director of Spiritual Life, mentioned ITSOG at the beginning of Wednesday morning chapels. They also played videos in chapel that highlighted some of the agencies so students can picture where their donations are going and how they actually help to make a difference in people’s lives.

“I really liked how they showed videos in chapel because it puts where our stuff is going in perspective. Last year, a lot of people were complaining that they didn’t know where their stuff was going to, but that was probably just a bad excuse not to bring anything,” said Anna Bergman, junior.

Students also found sheets in their lockers that described the basic mission statements of the more than 15 different agencies that WCA is involved with this year. According to Susie Brown, assistant to the Dean of Students, the places that WCA donates to change from year to year. For the first time this year, WCA will be delivering the goods to the agencies instead of them coming to pick up the items.

“It is important for high school students to be involved in something like this because it teaches us how to get out of our bubble, and it challenges us to literally be the ‘Good Samaritan’ for someone else. In a nutshell, it makes us into better people: the people God wants us to become,” said Christian Thompson, senior.

ITSOG is a unique opportunity for the school to help people in need, and students are not the only people at WCA that it impacts.

“I have been humbled by the reaction of the people when they have come to pick up items we’ve collected. They are always grateful and generally surprised by the amount of items that we collect. It is a blessing to me to see how God uses the Westminster community to bless people in our community, the region, and the world,” said Brown.

One agency in particular that students have made a connection with is Room at the Inn. Room at the Inn is a temporary, emergency shelter for homeless women and families. Students involved with National Honors Society are required to spend the night once a year at a church that partners with Room at the Inn. The students help make and clean up dinner and breakfast for the women and families, play with the children that are staying the night, and share conversation.

“My favorite thing about Room at the Inn for the NHS students is that it’s very relational. Getting to talk with and care for these people really acts as a reality check. It also acts as a way of living out our faith by caring for the homeless,” said Tim Burgess, senior.