SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER

Elementary students experienced the meaning of the phrase &8220;&8217;Tis better to give than to receive&8221; this holiday season.

Students from Oak Mountain Elementary School

gathered gifts for the families of SafeHouse of Shelby County.

SafeHouse, a nonprofit agency that works to empower survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, provides shelter, education and support services.

For nine years, the donations have been an annual event at the school.

The school&8217;s Hospitality Committee organized the event each year.

This year&8217;s representative, teacher Lori Lancaster, distributed information to students and parents.

Each grade level was given certain items to collect including personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, paper products and new underclothes.

&8220;It&8217;s great to see children developing a commitment to community at such a young age,&8221; said Jill Dean, counseling coordinator at SafeHouse.

SafeHouse received the collected items at the school on Friday, Dec. 16.

SafeHouse of Shelby County was created in 1989 in response to the great need for a domestic violence shelter in Shelby County.

For information on how to help SafeHouse, visit the website at www.safehouse.org

or call 664-5930.

To learn about the options SafeHouse offers survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, contact the Crisis Line at 664-4357