Jackson Free Press

A community service program for Jackson Public Schools students culminates today in an alternative gift market. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), JPS students will be selling gifts like care packages that benefit local and international aid organizations.

The gift market is part of "Students Helping Others Planet-wide," or SHOP, a program that involves all of the roughly 2,000 students in JPS' Open Doors program for gifted students in grades 2-8. Through SHOP, each of the district's 67 Open Doors classes adopts a humanitarian agency to support. Some classes adopt local groups like Stewpot Community Services or Genesis Food Bank; others support national organizations like TerraCycle or international groups like Heifer International. By connecting these students to aid groups, SHOP engages children in a hands-on and community-oriented learning experience.

As they have for years, Open Doors students at Lake Elementary School visited residents at the Mississippi State Veterans home, making gingerbread houses and holiday posters with them.

"The vets love the children," said Shirley Vance, activities director for the home. They look forward to them every year. They just bring such a joy to our facility this time of year. A lot of the vets don't get to see their family and their grandchildren, so they bring that family effect with them."

Vance believes the visits are as valuable for the students as for the residents.

"I think it teaches them a lot," Vance said. "The kids can have such a bad view about the military now, and these men put a good view on it. The kids get to talk to them and hug them. They really get a lot from it."

Admission to the SHOP market is free.