More than 100 New Kensington-Arnold children to benefit from Angel Tree

Karen Thomas didn’t flinch when the Angel Tree she coordinates for students in need at the New Kensington-Arnold School District was the biggest it has been in more than 20 years.

She knew her colleagues would step up to provide gifts for 51 families in the district — 126 children from infants to high school seniors.

And step up they did.

“I actually had to turn away shoppers,” said Thomas, an autistic support teacher at Martin Elementary who has been leading the Angel Tree effort since 2004.

“It’s utterly amazing to see all of these gift bags filled for kids.”

Thomas said staff members identify families in need and ask for parents’ permission to see if they would be OK with being added to the Angel Tree.

They then write down the child’s first name, age, clothing size, interests and whether they have any siblings, Thomas said. Child-aged siblings also get added to the tree, she said.

A staff member, or one of their family members, picks a student and goes shopping for the child. Gifts were due last week, and school guidance counselors will deliver the presents to households Tuesday while the children are at school.

“It’s important for kids to be able to wake up on Christmas morning and see what Santa brought under the tree,” Thomas said.

About 80% of students in the New Kensington-Arnold School District are economically disadvantaged, according to data from the state Department of Education’s Future Ready Index. Just under 5% are homeless.

“We step up,” Thomas said. “We take care of our kids. We love our students, and we want the best for them. I’ve been in this district since 2001, and the staff here steps up for anything that’s needed for our families.”

Thomas said it is “awe-inspiring” to see all the gifts donated.

The most rewarding part of coordinating the Angel Tree is hearing from parents about how much it helped and how grateful they are.

It’s the third time in as many months the New Kensington-Arnold community stepped up to support families in need.

Staff at Roy A. Hunt Elementary coordinated a food collection drive for its students over the Thanksgiving break. In October, students and staff at H.D. Berkey Elementary donated more than $1,000 in spare change to families for the upcoming holiday season.