As we wrapped up the holidays, some of us had to take a moment to pause and think about the community around us. We cannot solely shift our focus to the presents that were on the top of our Christmas lists. North Allegheny has been given the stereotype of “snobby” or “stuck up”.  People outside the bubble we live in, tend to think of us as rich kids who act like we know everything. Sometimes when we walk around letterman jackets on full display, or win another state title at Penn State, people add a “conceited kid” to our title.

The fact of the matter is, we are blessed to be given amazing teachers and coaches that lead us to these academic and athletic achievements we EARN every year.  We are not only an award-winning school district but also a charitable school to looks out for others not just in our hallways but in our neighborhoods.

This year our school, as a whole, ran and participated in many charitable events. Our two most notable events were the Canned Food Drive and Santa’s Stocking. 

The Canned Food Drive ran from November 19th – November 22nd. The purpose of this charitable activity was to get the staff and students to collect non-perishable canned food and money to give to the North Hills Food Bank to give to families in our neighborhoods who are in need of a helping hand.

Over the course of a week, the staff and students collected over 4,000 cans! This was an amazing outcome for the Food Bank to receive as we provide them with over 40% of the nonperishable goods they use throughout the year. As an organizer of the event, it was very eye-opening to see the school and staff get together and do something that did not benefit themselves physically, but did benefit the people around them. It was also great to see people taking time out of there busy holiday. 

This event not only impacted our neighbors but also many of our North Allegheny students. Our other notable event was Santa Stockings, it ran from November 27th – December 12th. The purpose of this event was to help out kids and families in our community.

We reached out to families through the North Hills Foodbank whose parents had just recently lost their jobs or grandparents who were guardians of their grandchildren. Mostly parents who had just occurred a financial hardship and were unable to provide presents for their kids. Each homeroom had a child that they went out and purchased gifts to add a little extra merry to their Christmas. Some of the presents included large stuffed animals, bikes, puzzles, and coloring books. NAI collect gifts for a total of 72 kids. 

NAEye asked Claire Majerac about her experience with Santa Stockings and these were some of her words, “On Christmas morning I walked downstairs and saw gifts littered all over the floor. I couldn’t help but think about the other kids that we helped who now got to share that same experience with me, it really made me feel like I made a great difference”. North Allegheny may put a lot of effort into their next state title but when it comes to our neighbors, we are always there for them. 

Gallery • 3 Photos

Taryn Brodine

Photograph of Student Council Members