Its a complete misfortune that many children live in such poverty that having a wrapped toy to open on Christmas morning is simply not a possibility. Yet, one senior project changed this situation for hundreds of kids for the 2002 Christmas. Anna Willis and Lupita Espinoza, organized a toy drive to donate toys to the Tecate Mission, a Christian school located a short distance from the border. Through vast publicity the Helix High Students were urged to donate any new or used toys in good condition to their third period classes.

As an extra initiative for the students to donate to ensure the project would be a true success, every donated toy earned the class points. The class with the most points were given the chance to choose between a Mexican food lunch, Subway lunch or Pizza party. Thanks to the Helix students and staff the project was a wonderful success with hundreds of new and used toys donated The toys were wrapped and personally given to the students during a Christmas party, also organized by Anna and Lupita.

Wanting to make a difference to those less fortunate, Jaime Malneritch knew exactly what her senior project would consist of. Overall, her senior project consisted of two main components. She helped at a soup kitchen and held a Blanket Drive. Jaime and several friends volunteered at a local soup kitchen to help serve the homeless. She states how she, "enjoyed volunteering at the Soup Kitchen the most because it was a new experience that really had an emotional impact on me."

Once that component was completed, it was time to begin planning and organizing the blanket drive to be held at Helix High School. With a box placed in every classroom and publicity through the school of the blanket drive it was up to the Helix students to donate a blanket and help keep someone warm in the cold winter. The blanket drive ended up being a success with over one-hundred blankets donated to the St. Vincent de Paul who ensured the blankets were given to those in true need of them.

Stephanie Chow and Krystal Wang worked with the children of the Polinsky center and with the children of a local elementary school. The project consisted of two main elements. The first included teaching four classes at a local elementary school about child abuse. The kids were educated about child abuse and the Polisnky Center.

The second element was the drive held at the La Mesa Middle School asking students to donate items to give out care packages for children. Krystal felt the "project helped with numerous things from patience to communication with the people she works with." With the project many kids learned about child abuse and over fifteen children received care packages.

Stephanie Chow hands a young girl her care package with materials donated by La Mesa Middle School students.