There is one question that seems to be asked by people around the world – what is the key to happiness? This holiday season, Key Club believes that the key is giving.

   “Key Club wants to adopt a family just to help the community. It’s a great thing to be involved in,” freshman Shelby Erickson said. “It kind of opens your eyes to other families in the community; what you might take for granted, other people could barely have.”

   Students in Key Club are adopting a family. The club received a list of things that each member of the family needs, from clothes, to food and toys. Then, the students signed up for things to bring for these families.

   “This is for people who don’t have money to get Christmas gifts or any gifts at all, so basically we’re just trying to help the less fortunate,” senior Emily Szczuka said.

   Key Club members have been working on preparations for the Adopt-A-Family project since the beginning of November, when the project was announced. Their items for the families are due on December 11 and will be delivered on December 14.

   “We adopt a family so that they receive items they need for the holidays,” Key Club sponsor Erin Garvey said. “These families were recently homeless and need help getting back on their feet.”

   In Key Club, members earn service hours by doing community service projects like this.

   “We get hours depending on how much stuff we bring in and also depending on how much time we spend sorting [the items],” Szczuka said.

   To get these hours, members sometimes have to travel outside of the club projects and go out on their own.

   “You can also get out in the community. There are many food banks that you can donate to,” junior Boone Evans said.

   The club is mainly based off of those community service projects and hours and this Adopt-A-Family is a fantastic example.

   “A good way to do nice things like this all year round is to be in clubs at LHS and to join clubs like Key Club that do community service projects,” sophomore Ayraka Bree Straws said.

   Giving a helping hand is not solely a holiday season event. These things can happen all year round, on a daily basis.

   “Helping someone out is just a really great feeling. I think in today and this day and age, we’re kind of losing sight of that,” Erickson said. “Doing this makes you feel happy and it makes you want to help out more, which I believe is very important.”