WALLENPAUPACK AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT — Volunteers In Paupack (VIP), an extracurricular program within the Wallenpaupack high school, provides an avenue for students to support not just their fellows, but the wider community of the area. 

Several VIP participants appeared before the district’s board of education on January 13 to describe the program and their involvement. 

One of the biggest and most anticipated VIP events of the year is Santa’s Workshop, said Paige Haney, a senior and VIP president. 

Santa’s Workshop helps members of the Wallenpaupack student body who may not have the means to go out and shop for gifts for their families. It’s a one-day event where VIP volunteers set up tables full of gifts in the school library, and students are able to come and “shop” for their families at no cost. 

The preparation for the next year’s Santa’s Workshop starts the day after the event ends, said Haney. Throughout the year, faculty, staff and members of the community collect and store donations of gifts. The day before the event itself, VIP volunteers set up at the library, making sure all the gifts are laid out in organized categories. 

Throughout the event, VIP volunteers walk the workshop floor to make sure everything is in order and staff a gift-wrapping station. 

Beyond Santa’s Workshop, VIP helps with or runs a host of events, both within and outside school grounds. 

VIP helps with the Hawley Hoedown and Winterfest, two of the borough’s biggest annual festivals. Students also run a one-room schoolhouse, teaching younger kids what life was like before technology, and host a table for gift wrapping at the mall, said treasurer Isabella Earl. 

In school, VIP staffs the “Crack an Egg” event, a two-day fundraiser in which students can buy eggs with candy and special prizes, the money going to club supplies and scholarships. VIP volunteers also collect food and money donations for the food pantry before the homecoming game; make food boxes for the needy at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter; and help the school by serving as ushers during the winter and school plays, said vice president Miranda Steuhl. 

“Overall, I’m extremely thankful for this club and the personal growth it has helped me achieve along the way and the connections it’s given me,” said Haney. “I love knowing that I’m making an impact, and seeing all the grateful people we help, it truly makes the hard work worth it.”

Superintendent Keith Gunuskey said the work the students put in was “spectacular.”

The school’s mission statement talks about responsible citizenship, Gunuskey said. “You three are shining examples of that responsible citizenship, not worried about yourself, but worried about others and making your community better.”