1. Senior Capstone Jake Russell

2. Background Information  Grandfather works for the National Alliance for Mentally Ill  Each year, they solicit donations to host a Christmas party for mentally ill clients who live in group homes  He spoke with us about the details about the location of the event, the meal, and the gifts they would receive  Part of our project would involve shopping to buy all of the gifts for the clients, who had already given them a list of items they wanted

3. Shopping  We went to Walmart and bought over $3000 worth of clothing, shoes, watches, etc. and put all of the stuff into gift bags for the clients from the group home

4. Party  We helped served a great meal of turkey, ham, potatoes, green beans, and more  We passed out gifts. Each client received 2-3 gifts that were on their list, plus basic toiletries  Listened to band, danced, and had fun

5. Party  The people that lived in the group home were either mentally ill, previously homeless, or both  All very thankful to receive gifts; some were even crying  Most went around showing everyone else what they got and were so happy, even when they were the most simple gifts

6. Conclusion This party was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. Seeing how thankful people were and knowing how great of a thing it is to help these people in need was amazing. When I handed one of the gifts to a lady she was bawling her eyes out, so happy that we helped her. Another man was walking around with his $15 boots and showing everyone how cool they were. It really put things into perspective of how much I have and I am so grateful to have everything after seeing everyone’s reactions.