Operation Give Back, an organization which supports Sycamore School District students and their families, operates a "holiday store" each December at their headquarters in Blue Ash to provide gifts and food to under-served students and their families for Christmas.
Among the school district's population are Latino families who speak little English. Operation Give Back asked people fluent in Spanish to consider volunteering at the holiday store to interpret for these families as they met with store personnel.
St. Barnabas supports Operation Give Back as one of our community outreach ministries. Emily Halcomb, a St. Barnabas parishioner who is a Spanish teacher at Milford High School, encouraged her students to consider volunteering as interpreters.
One of those students offered this account of her experience:
“I had an amazing experience helping families at the Operation Give Back holiday shop! I was able to translate for and assist two families and it was very rewarding to me. This program seems incredible. Everyone helping at the shop was so kind! It was uplifting to see how many items were donated by the community. In my opinion, it was a perfect demonstration of the Christmas spirit. I am very grateful for this opportunity to use my Spanish knowledge to help others!”