The holiday season calls for giving. Every year, BV West advisory classes participate in the Red Bags KC project. Each class adopts an underprivileged child and is provided the recipient’s wishlist. Whilst conducting my interview, I watched students help their classmates out as they carried their red bags down to the ELA pod.
Created in 1984 by Edgerton native Daniel Jacobs, the Red Bags organization is able to help upwards of 1,500 foster children each year. Jacobs got the idea to start this organization when he had to tell a family that KCPL (now known as Evergy) had to cut off their electricity.
Christmas was approaching and this family’s situation left Jacobs heartbroken. He rallied his co-workers, family, and friends to donate food and presents that he could distribute to the family in need. Jacobs received such a surplus that he was able to assist two more families. A few years later after an encounter with a social worker, Jacobs expanded Red Bags to both sides of the Kansas-Missouri state line. Red Bag was brought to BV West by former teacher Lauren Garcia. This year ELA teacher and cheer coach Katie Pearson has taken over.
“I am a sucker for the holiday season and I think that this is really the meaning of that,” said Pearson.
As I interviewed Pearson, she was directing students where to drop off their bags. I watched as teachers directed students into a large closet where all the Red Bags would be housed until the drop off date. It inspired me to watch such a large group of people come together to benefit those in need.
“I think it’s a good reminder for students that not everyone is as fortunate as a lot of us are here,” said Pearson.
The holiday season for many of us is a time where we receive the new things on our wishlist. However, that’s not the same for everyone. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that not everyone is as privileged as we are, especially when living in Johnson County.
Receiving gifts is obviously a fun benefit of the holiday season but giving can be even more rewarding. Six scientists; Soyoung Q. Park, Thorsten Kahnt, Azade Dogan, Sabrina Strang, Ernst Fehr, and Philippe N. Tobler conducted an experiment at the University of Zürich in Switzerland regarding the psychological effects of giving gifts. A random sample of participants were split into two groups; group A and group B. Both groups were given one hundred dollars to spend, however group B was instructed to spend it on someone else rather than themselves. The researchers used fMRI to measure the participant’s brain activity. The study showed that those who bought a present for someone else reported higher levels of happiness.
While Red Bags KC is an amazing way to give back during the holiday season, everyone can benefit from charity throughout the year. Research local organizations that support causes that your beliefs align with. Giving back never goes out of season.