Churchville-Chili Leos work to brighten the holidays

Monroe County Post

Leo Club members take a moment off from assembling and wrapping gift bags for a group photo.

This holiday season, guests at Rochester’s Open Door Mission will receive gift bags personalized with words of hope from students in Churchville-Chili Senior High School’s Leo Club.

The group spent weeks collecting donations of new personal care items. They assembled and wrapped 80 bags, and added festive cards for each recipient.

Leo Club volunteers working in Churchville-Chili’s high school library.

Participating students included McKenna Arguien, Caleb Bailey, Riley Bauer, Madison Brown, Hannah Caldwell, Kylie Camman, Camille Collins, Gretchen Dolan, Lindsay Donner, Noah Donner, Jon LeFrois, Mikenna Tolliver, Jaida Ward, Leah Ward and Maya Wynne.

The annual project helps Leo Club members develop Leadership, Experience and Opportunity, and unites them in fellowship.

The annual community service activity is one of the many projects the Leo Club works on during the year. Class advisers for this school year are dance and health teacher Janelle Hernandez with Lions Club member Marty Molinari.

Students include a personalized card with every package, sharing thoughts for those experiencing difficult times.

The Leo Club is for students in grades 9-12 and sponsored by the Churchville Lions Club. The group’s focus is on developing leadership skills and promoting individual responsibility.

Churchville-Chili senior Caleb Bailey, president of the Leo Club, helps load boxes into the Open Door Mission’s truck for delivery.