A Season of Giving: Bringing Christmas Joy to Arete Students in Louisiana

As Christmas draws near, the season invites us to slow down, gather together, and show care for our communities. This season, Arete Scholars was grateful to bring Christmas joy to students at Holy Family Catholic School in Lafayette and Redemptorist Elementary School in Baton Rouge.

Thanks to our generous supporters, the McElligott family, the Giglio family, the John family and J&J Exterminating, and the Zuschlag family and Acadian Ambulance, 60 students at Holy Family received thoughtfully selected gifts designed to spark creativity, fun, and self-expression. Each gift was chosen not only to celebrate the season but to affirm each child's worth and potential, advancing Arete Scholars' mission to help every student realize the excellence within them.

Spending time at Holy Family was a powerful reminder of how meaningful a simple act of generosity can be. The excitement in the classrooms, the smiles on students' faces, and the warmth of the school community made this Christmas drive especially memorable. Moments like these reflect the heart of Holy Family and the strong partnership it shares with Arete Scholars.

This same spirit of generosity also extended to Redemptorist Elementary School in Baton Rouge, where 15 Arete Scholars were served through the Christmas drive. For students at Redemptorist, the opportunity to receive a gift brought a special sense of joy and excitement.

We are deeply thankful to the McElligott family, the Giglio family, the John family and J&J Exterminating, and the Zuschlag family and Acadian Ambulance, who made this Christmas drive possible, as well as to the teams at both Holy Family Catholic School and Redemptorist Elementary School for their partnership and hospitality.

To everyone who supports Arete Scholars, your generosity helps create moments of joy and dignity for more than 3,300 children and their families. This Christmas season, we are reminded that hope often arrives in simple, thoughtful ways.