Wrapping paper, bows and smiles filled every available space at Other Options, Inc. Friends Food Pantry. Students from Metro Tech’s Beauty Academy (BA) jumped in to help Other Options wrap Christmas gifts for 450 households in the greater Oklahoma City area. 

Other Options provides food, resources, services, and education to at-risk individuals and families with a focus on those affected by HIV and AIDS. During the holiday season, Other Options clients can be “adopted” through the Angel Tree event. Trees decorated with client Christmas wishes were placed at many supporting businesses in Oklahoma City.

Charla Stevenson, Other Options Housing Manager, says she couldn’t be more pleased with the overwhelming response from the Metro Tech students. After two students volunteered at the pantry, they wanted to know more. Next thing Charla knew, she was delivering an

Angel Tree to the BA with 20 cards of Christmas wishes. “The students fulfilled every wish on the tree,” Charla said. Other Options expected a few students to join them for wrapping the gifts but little did she know the perseverance of community service at Metro Tech. “They came in droves! We had so many students show up we had to run and get

more supplies!” Charla said.

BA students spent a total of three hours over two days wrapping gifts. Krystle Steele, Esthetician student, says Other Options has jump started her Christmas spirit. “This has been so much fun. We’ve wrapped hundreds of gifts for families we know really need it,” Krystle said. Krystle’s wrapping partner, Shanell Cobb, Cosmetology student, said helping Other Options has been an amazing experience. “It just feels awesome to give back. I have cousins who don’t have parents and have been helping them get through the holidays. I know how much this means to people who need a gift on Christmas,” Shanell said. “We’d like to do this every year, even outside of Metro Tech.”

Mary Arbuckle, Director of Other Options, says The Angel Tree program started about 12 years ago, serving only a handful of clients. Now, Angel Tree has grown to serve 1,048 clients. “These students have been such a tremendous help. They came in, sat down and started wrapping,” Mary said. “We couldn’t have gotten all the gifts wrapped if it wasn’t for Metro Tech. It means so much more when you get to open a gift at Christmas and I know a lot of these gifts will be the only gifts some of our people will get this year.”

I was ecstatic to see so many of my “kids” pitching in at an organization I care about dearly. THANK YOU !!