Three college students come together to give back for the holidays

SALISBURY, Md. – It’s year four of the family holiday drive, and this season is all about gratitude.

“I just hope they walk away with joy in their hearts and just a little less stress, because I know it can be stressful trying to figure out what to do with your kids, and I am just happy to help,” said co-founder of Santa’s Little Helper, Amari Jackson.

In her second year of college at Spelman University, during the height of the pandemic, Jackson wanted to find a way to give back to her community in Salisbury, around the holidays.

After some brainstorming and collaboration with childhood friends, Santa’s Little Helpers was born.

“I just wanted to take everyone’s attention off from COVID-19, and be like, ‘Hey, everyone, I know the holiday season doesn’t feel the same, but we can at least spread cheer,” Jackson said.

Then, Shymir Coakley, a student at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, came into the picture, as the networking expert. He had the connections back home to get the ball rolling.

“When you impact the community, you have to have good relationships to actually reach the community, to realize what’s missing and what’s going on and how you as yourself can help them,” Coakley said.

Marking their fourth year in the books, Coakley said the crew is able to take away something new from each event, to perfect it for the next.

“We’re able to learn things that we may have done wrong, and better ways that we can help the community, so [we’re] just learning and getting better experience each and every time,” Coakley said.

Volunteering for his first year, Kota Fletcher said being able to give back to the community he grew up in is a memory that’ll stick with him forever.

“I think there’s just so much going on, not only in the community, but in the world,” Fletcher said. “To be able to provide them some peace of mind and with an escape, I think it’s really important.”