Special needs students celebrate Christmas

Dec. 8, 2015

Sachse’s Northplace Church, the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters joined forces to provide a Christmas party for Garland ISD’s special needs students Friday, Dec. 4.

The Christmas party, which was started approximately 40 years ago by the Knights of Columbus of Garland, Council 6402, with 25 students, has grown to 180 students and 50 teachers and aides. According to Joe Vulk with Knights of Columbus, the party was originally held at Williams Elementary School. The Catholic Daughters began working with the Knights of Columbus on this event approximately 30 years ago by helping with the food, decorations and gifts.

Greg Hartmann, the Northplace Church student ministries pastor and Christmas party coordinator, said that this was the third year that the church had coordinated the party.

“We provide all of the gifts and food along with hosting the event. We work with the teachers to get gifts specifically suited to each student,” he said. “We then have members of our congregation go out and purchase the gifts and return them to the church.”

Church members also decorate the venue, set up tables and organize the gift distribution. More than 100 gave their time to wrap gifts and approximately 120 were there to help on event day.

Event day volunteers also included members of the Catholic Daughters organization and Knights of Columbus. They helped with getting the kids on and off the buses, serving food, handing out gifts and they brought Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Hartmann said that several years ago the church asked the district how they could help with events. The first year, the district asked them to provide decorations for the special needs Christmas party.

“Knowing the heart of the people in our church we knew we could do more,” Hartmann shared. “We asked if we could also provide the gifts. That first year we did gifts and decorations at a GISD facility.”

The facility was crowded, so the next year the event moved to the church where they have a large auditorium.

Originally Sachse Assembly of God, Northplace Church has been in existence since 1921. They have been have been in the current location at 2800 Pleasant Valley Road just over 18 months.

The church’s vision can be summed up in three words: Christ, Community, Compassion. In addition to the GISD special needs students’ party, the church coordinates three other holiday events. www.northplacechurch.com.

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