The holidays are all about the spirit of giving, a spirit that rings true at Presentation High School. The Catholic school in San Jose has a long history of supporting the local charity, Sacred Heart Community Service. Students collect food, toys, money and more throughout the holiday season as a way of giving back. In 2022, Presentation students and their families spread holiday cheer across their community through a series of holiday charity drives. 
 

Black & White Charity Ball

The holiday spirit started on campus with a very special party with a purpose for students. The Black & White Charity Ball started in 1989 as an effort by the Community Involvement club to raise money for Sacred Heart. This semi-formal event kicks off the holiday season with dancing, sweet treats, a movie and games. This year alone, the Black & White Charity Ball raised more than $17,000 to support the San Jose community. 
 

 

Food Drive

Anyone can host a food drive, but Presentation takes it one step further by making it a schoolwide and community effort. Students receive points for each donation collected, helping each class level reach their goals in Presentation’s Spirit Trophy competition. This friendly competition has helped make Presentation be one of the top donors each year to Sacred Heart. 
 
While this effort is labeled Food Drive, it’s not just about collecting food. Students canvass neighborhoods and collect donations on campus for a variety of in-demand products. Here’s how much they collected in 2022 in each category:
  • 18,295 Hygiene Products
  • 13,573 Canned Goods
  • 9,306 Baby Diapers
  • 1,023 Turkeys, Chickens and Hams for Thanksgiving
  • 121 Canisters of Baby Formula
 

Penny Drive

One way Presentation continues to be a top holiday donor for Sacred Heart every year is through the Penny Drive. Each December, students bring in spare change, bills and checks to donate. This encourages students to collect and make use of their spare change to contribute to helping those in need in their community. This year, the Penny Drive at Presentation raised $12,300.
 

Toy Drive

For children, toys are a huge part of holiday cheer. Much like the annual Food Drive, the Toy Drive includes more than just games and trinkets. With help from the charity Bikes Because We Care, Presentation collected 125 bicycles for members of the community. Other donations included 236 toys, 113 bike helmets, 84 bicycle locks and 22 gift cards for the Gifts for Teens program. Through this drive, Presentation students helped make Christmas brighter for hundreds of local families in need. 
 
 
Through charity events and donation drives, Presentation students showed their giving spirit this holiday season. Between the Black & White Charity Ball and the Penny Drive, Presentation students raised more than $30,000 for Sacred Heart, in addition to thousands of donated goods for the community. 
 
Sacred Heart Community Service, founded in 1964 by Louise Benson, started out with a mission to feed hungry families in the community. The organization has since grown to provide food and clothing, housing, utility and financial assistance, job placement and education programs, as well as social advocacy work. We have such gratitude for our generous community that makes Presentation High School one of the top donors to this charity every holiday season. 
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