Seth McCaughey, age 13, a Da Vinci Middle School student in the 8th grade at the Temecula Student Center, collected items for 40 Christmas gift bags for 40 needy children in the Vista Unified School District.
Seth collected items from his fellow students and teachers and distributed them just before winter break. This is the second year he has overseen the collection; in 2013, he collected items for 24 children.
Lisa Phillips, an education specialist with Springs and Seth’s mother, said, “I personally saw the distribution, the smiles and even the tears of appreciation when the students received their fun-filled bags.”
Seth has been a Springs student since 5th grade, and likes his experience at Springs because he enjoys smaller class sizes. He was motivated to launch the program after going on home study days with Lisa. She said, “He saw first-hand the poverty within the community in which I teach.”
He is hoping to expand the program in 2015 by creating a website and soliciting donations for the beginning of the school year as well. Seth is a “philanthropist at heart,” Lisa said. Several years ago he helped raise money for tsunami victims in India by selling cookies and lemonade; his sign read, “Help India, buy lemonade.”
