Sacred Heart students deliver Christmas gifts to Appalachia

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Students at Sacred Heart Academy packed a truck with gifts and went to Mingo County, West Virginia on Friday morning.

The Sister Brendan Appalachian Gift Drive is in memory of one of the founders, Sister Brendan, who died in 2021. She started the drive in 1995 with Sister Janet.

Students from Sacred Heart Schools collect gifts like books, stuffed animals, and art supplies. A team of high school students then delivers them ahead of Christmas.

About 300 children will receive presents this year because of the donations. Families are also given food boxes for holiday meals.

Charlotte Robinson is a sophomore. She traveled to Appalachia over the summer, but this is the first time she has visited for the Christmas event.

Robinson says that trip made her realize how big the need is.

“It was really eye-opening to see how much they didn’t have compared to us,” Robinson said. “It was kind of sad to see, but it was wonderful to be there for them and see more of the world and get that experience.”

This marks the 27th year for the gift drive. Students haven’t been able to travel since 2019 because of the pandemic, so they were excited to finally visit in 2022. Donations were made virtually for two years.

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