Efrusan: The economics of generosity

COEUR d'ALENE — Tears were shed as the executive director explained how much this donation meant.

“The generosity was so huge,” said Cindy Wood of Family Promise, a nonprofit in Coeur d'Alene. “There's this moment where our whole staff was standing in the parking lot around these vehicles just crying because we are so incredibly blessed and we know what it means for the families.”

Over $7,000 of food and gifts was donated Wednesday to Family Promise and Union Gospel Mission by Lake City High School students.

“It was amazing,” Wood said. “We didn’t know how we were going to get it back in our van so we brought an extra car just in case.”

Wednesday morning around 120 students filled the Walmart in Hayden, scanning the aisles to provide gifts and dinner for 11 families, totaling 49 individuals through Family Promise, as well as purchase gifts for certain age groups through UGM.

“(The students) really owned the program and really put it together,” LCHS teacher Matt Ruchti said. “I just provided an opportunity for them to do it.”

The students, mostly seniors and a few juniors making up Ruchti’s five economics classes, raised the money for the program internally, a lot from their own pockets, families and businesses with whom they had connections.

Ruchti said that because part of the curriculum focuses on money management and budgeting, he asked students if they'd be interested in a practical way to learn and give back to the community.

He said he didn’t expect the project to grow to something of that magnitude, but told the students they could take it to whatever level they wanted.

“Seven thousand dollars later ... they were pretty excited about it and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Ruchti said. “Many students donated their own money, their own paychecks, their own tip money.”

Seniors Ada Christensen, Camdyn Martindale and Devin Moody worked together to bring Christmas to a family of eight. They were given a budget of $40 to buy a traditional dinner, and then $100 per family member to purchase gifts, toiletries and other items they may need.

“It’s definitely a lot of fun being able to help out and get gifts for other people in need,” Camdyn said.

Martindale said the project also gave them experience budgeting money and gaining life skills.

“It’s our last year in high school so we’re going out into the real world,” Martindale said.

Moody said they didn’t have too much time to decide what specific items they wanted to shop for.

“It was kind of on the fly, but we had a little shopping cart going online for the food and a couple of the gifts,” Moody said. “Besides that, it’s all just like walk through and look at what’s there.”

Senior boys Dillon Blough, Alex Mitchell and Max Reynolds searched toy aisles to find gifts for middle school boys through the UGM.

“It’s surprisingly harder than it seems,” Mitchell said.

Linda Cook of the UGM said they were surprised by the amount of donations they received.

“We are incredibly blessed by the hearts these kids have for people who struggle and it helps us because we rely solely on gifts to keep us going,” Cook said. “These kids are changing lives with their generosity.”