DAYTON, Ky. — Christmas is for big kids, too. That's what Georgia Nelson-Harris and the Operation Christmas Joy team at Dayton High School believe.
For the third year in a row, the ladies are fulfilling the Christmas wishes of high school students who otherwise wouldn't have presents under the tree.
"It's a really challenging endeavor," Nelson-Harris said. "It's much more fun to buy toys and stuff for little kids than it is for big kids. I just want my (students) to have a Christmas too. They deserve a Christmas."
Dayton High School isn't filled with kids who have it all. The school has a food pantry for any students or community members who need food. There is also a used clothing area where students can grab a jacket or a new pair of jeans.
During the pandemic, they realized 60 students at Dayton High School were in need of more than trivial Christmas gifts. That's when Operation Christmas Joy was born.
Last year, as inflation ballooned, so did the need. OCJ had 140 students on its list. This year, they know the list will grow to 150 or more students.
Video game systems are not on the students' lists. Usually, they say, the teens want personal care items like body wash and makeup, or a blanket. Nelson-Harris tries to give each kid a blanket, an outfit or two and a personal care item. She said she likes to also give them a game their family can play together.
Nelson-Harris comes by the desire to give naturally. Her mother Joye, the project's namesake, taught her and her siblings this every day. And she challenges everyone to help spread joy by helping them because OCJ isn't their full-time job. There was simply a need and Nelson-Harris and her group of "elves" decided to do something about it.
"There are times where I'm like, 'It's not gonna work. There's no way,'" Nelson-Harris said. "And then somebody will purchase everything on our wishlist. And so you're like, OK ... it's just bigger than us."
Last December, the group was fearful they wouldn't be able to fill every teen's list. But a last-minute donation made it possible.
Operation Christmas Joy is hoping for another big miracle — or a dozen smaller miracles — like that this year. Whatever it takes, Nelson-Harris said, to bring joy to teenagers on Christmas morning.
"I think it means a lot," Nelson-Harris said. "It means what it means to every kid when you wake up Christmas Day. ... Just because you're 15 doesn't mean you don't get that same excited feeling you did when you were 4 or 5."
After all, says Nelson-Harris, "No one should be forgotten on Christmas."
To donate money to Project Christmas Joy, click here. Or fulfill a specific wish here.
