The Christmas spirit was alive early one morning at Montevallo Middle School where a group of Christmas elves were busy filling huge baskets with beautiful fruit to be sent to the residents of Chandler Health and Rehabilitation Center.

The elves were piling the baskets high with red and green apples, oranges, tangerines and bananas.

In among the fruit they placed raisins, chewing gum and candy canes. The baskets will make the holidays a little more cheerful for many of the seniors in the center.

The students all agreed they loved helping others and it was really fun.

These young people are members of the Helping Hands Club.

“The Helping Hands Club consists of sixteen students at MMS,” said their sponsor, Catherine Lilly. “Our focus is to lend our hands to help others. The students in the club are sensitive to the needs of other people. We help to brighten the lives of others by performing simple tasks like preparing the fruit baskets, making greeting cards, or collecting items from a wish list.”

Each student at MMS is required to participate in, a club. These clubs meet monthly with their sponsors.

In addition to their contribution to Chandler, this year the Helping Hands club has pulled together and given needed items to the Shelby County Humane Society.

They found a list of things needed on the Web site and sent boxes of paper towels, food, batteries, and cleaning supplies. Jacqueline Chappell, another sponsor, explained the students also especially enjoyed sending a large collection of new stuffed animals to the Children’s Hospital.

Some of these club members are: Alborne Staffney, Alondra Maya, Ashley Williams, Brooke Patterson, Chloe Bertschinger and Christa Roberts. Others are Horacio Martinez, Jennifer Butler, Jessica Robbins, and John Pate, along with Kelli Abernathy, Kye Taylor and Madison Fancher.

Catherine Legg can be reached at clegg2@bellsouth.net.