Students from SkyView Academy in Highlands Ranch collected and donated hundreds of food and hygiene items this month for those experiencing homelessness and poverty this winter.

A group of six student organizers delivered the items to Craig Hospital in Englewood on Dec. 18, just one day after they finished school for the semester. 

“They came in on their first day of vacation to make the delivery to Craig Hospital,” said Kurt Holzberlein, a spokesperson for the school.

Craig Hospital organized the donations for the Severe Weather Shelter Network as part of their “Big Give” donation drive. 

The entire school collected 241 hygiene kits and 371 bagged lunches and snacks for the donation, according to a news release from the school.

“It went great,” said Javier Negron, assistant principal for grades 7 through 12. “I’m certainly aware of basic needs that members of our community don’t have and anything we can do to help goes a long way.”

This school year, the school requires that high school students complete at least 20 hours of service, he said. That was reduced from 40 hours because of the pandemic.

“In a given year, we have a lot more collections, service hours and our students going into the community and providing man-hours in a wide range of services,” Negron said.

This opportunity was unique in that the school was able to team up with another community partner, the hospital, which has been on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, said Negron, whose wife works at the hospital as an administrator.

“From my standpoint, I love anything that students take the initiative and want to help in the community,” he said.

Negron’s daughter, Siena, 14, was one of the students who volunteered to deliver the items.

“We’re doing this because even though right now we have to be physically distant, this is a great opportunity to come together and unify as a community and help others,” said Siena, a freshman. “And that’s the real holiday spirit.”