BOISE, Idaho — The Holiday Store is here at Taft Elementary, with students shopping amongst a variety of donated items.
- Students at Taft Elementary are participating in their annual Holiday Store.
- After selecting gifts, students proceed to a wrapping station to prepare their presents. The event provides students with an opportunity to experience the joy of giving.
- Personal shoppers, including volunteers like Donna Waterfield, help students select gifts from donated items.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
I'm your West Boise neighborhood reporter Jessica Davis at Taft Elementary where students are picking out gifts, getting them wrapped, and will later surprise their parents for the holidays.
"Mom, dad, grandma?" asks Donna Waterfield, wondering who the young child, Julienne is shopping for. "Does she like Christmas items, does she drink coffee— maybe a coffee mug?"
This event offers children a chance to take a break from their schoolwork and celebrate the holiday season by picking out gifts for their loved ones. But this store couldn't operate without the help from personal shoppers.
Donna Waterfield volunteers annually— helping these young shoppers choose from hundreds of donated items. I was there earlier this month, right when those donations started rolling in. Now, each of those items is finding a new home.
Second grader Julienne says she got her parents, "a big bag and a necklace."
Once the students find the perfect gifts— it's on to the wrapping station.
"And what color ribbon do you want? See that red would be pretty or the green," says Leslie Tengelsen, as she helps a student pick out wrapping accessories.
The students then take their wrapped gifts home to give to their families.
Julienne says her parents are going to be confused about the gifts because "they didn't know I was going to get them something," she says.
"I think it's very fun to shop for family and friends here because it feels great to give people stuff," says Evie, a Taft student.
All students at Taft shopped at the holiday store and whatever is left at the end of the day will be donated to Koelsch Elementary for their Holiday Store on Thursday.
