By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: COURTESY
Students from Our Lady of Lourdes School in Miami pose with some of the more than 300 toys students collected for Las Hormiguitas del Senor (God's Little Ants) in the Redland.
Photographer: COURTESY
Christian San Juan, an eighth grader at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, dressed as an elf to help distribute toys collected by the school for children of immigrant workers at Las Hormiguitas del Senor (God's Little Ants) in the Redland.
Photographer: COURTESY
Nicholas Merchan poses with some of the more than 300 toys he and his fellow students at Our Lady of Lourdes School collected for Las Hormiguitas del Senor (God's Little Ants) in the Redland.
MIAMI | In the face of COVID-19, the students of Our Lady of Lourdes School didn’t pull back. In fact, the Jaguars created a new tradition.
“I was thinking about my mom’s company, and how they do a toy drive for needy children each year,” said Christian San Juan, an eighth-grade student at Our Lady of Lourdes. “I decided to send an email to our assistant principal, Ms. Laura Sanchez, and see if our school could do a toy drive to help those less fortunate.”
Just before Thanksgiving, Christian did just that.
“I received the email from Christian and it made me think,” said Sanchez. “We normally bring gifts to the residents of St. Anne’s Nursing Home, but this year that is impossible. We teach our students to give back, so we decided to make Christian’s idea a reality.”
With the approval of Thomas Halfaker, the school’s principal, the toy drive was sent in motion.
Nicholas Merchan, a seventh grader, and his mom, Pia Gruszczyk, have been involved with Las Hormiguitas del Señor (God’s Little Ants) in the Redland since Nicholas was 4 years old. Las Hormiguitas were the recipient of this year’s toy drive.
“We reach out to the children of immigrant workers to assist with toys and gifts for Christmas,” said Gruszczyk. “This year will be different, as we will have a Christmas parade, with a live nativity, and Santa and his elves giving out the presents.”
“It is very gratifying to help those less fortunate,” said Nicholas. “It brings a smile to their faces and there is nothing better than that.”
Students in grades PK-8 brought unwrapped toys to school over the last two weeks. Each morning, San Juan and his fellow members of the Student Council picked up the toys at each classroom door. The toys were stored until they were picked up by Gruszcyk.
“We have collected over 300 toys, including dolls, action figures, microscopes, telescopes and many other things,” said Christian San Juan.
Even though he will be graduating this year, he and Nicholas intend to continue their partnership in giving.
“I will come back next year and check to see that things are going well,” said Christian. “My mom said this is God’s plan for me, and this toy drive was a gift from God. When you help someone, you really help everyone.”
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