Fourth graders learn about Advent in touching visit to Louisiana Special Education Center

The fourth graders dressed as elves while Santa delivered gifts to children with special needs.

Fourth grade students from Our Lady of Prompt Succor School (OLPS) took part in an Advent project, in which they helped students at the Louisiana Special Education Center (LSEC) receive Christmas gifts on Monday.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Town Talk reports a special celebration in which the fourth-graders raised money to help purchase figts for about sixty students at OLPS.

The OLPS students got a little help from outside donors, but in the end each LSEC student received a gift.

Students at the LSEC suffer orthopedic impairments and age anywhere from 3 to thirty-two-years-old.

The Advent project came into being three years ago, when Paige Lacombe's child was in fourth grade at OLPS, each grade had to choose a different group to benefit from community service projects, so Lacombe chose LSEC after talking with friend, and LSEC pricipal, Kristy Flynn.

Though Lacombe's child is no longer in the fourth grade, she and her family continue to help students at the Louisiana Special Education Center each year.

"(I see) just what my children have gotten out of it," Lacombe told Town Talk. "It's a good service project, and it stays here locally."

Anna Lacombe, a 15-year-old sophomore at Holy Savior Menard Central High School, is Lacombe's daughter and has participated in the event each year. She  said, "There's no way to describe (what this means to me). It makes you realize how privileged you are. It warms your heart."

In an effort to kick start the project, each year Lacombe shows OLPS students who will benefit from their help through pictures and posters. She makes it a point to feature LSEC kids that appear to be in about the fourth grade "so the fourth-graders are able to relate," Lacombe said.

LSEC teachers give Lacombe the names of each student as well as gift suggestions so when Santa comes, Lacombe can be sure there are enough presents that are appropriate for each recipient.

OLPS school parties offer Lacombe and other families to wrap the gifts with the students each year. When Santa gave a gift to one child named Anna, she claimed to know exactly why he had a gift for her. "I'm nice," she explained.

Another student, Jonathan, received a Saints sign for his room and a Ray Charles CD. He said, "I love it because he [Santa] brings gifts. I've been good."

Principal Flynn commented, "It's just another one of the events in all kids' lives that are so special. We try to make every event purposeful and meaningful."

Mackenzie Speir, a high school senior, helped at the event this year, and her father plays Santa every year.

"We do it every year," Speir said. "It's just helping out and giving the kids something to look forward to. They get really excited."

Since the OLPS students do not get to attend the gift-giving event, pictures are always brought to the school afterward along with great stories.

"It's all about giving," Lacombe said, "giving to somebody else just for the pure joy of giving. Fortunately for us, we get a lot in return. But giving, that's the whole spirit that Christmas encompasses.

"Every year, it seems, in the midst of wrapping presents and whatever, you hear something and think 'Here's the lesson of why we do this. That's it - make someone happy and you'll be happy too."

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