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By Marie Kalita-Leary

The Mercy High School National Honor Society (NHS) Christmas Drive for the second year benefitted the Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center. As a facility of the Connecticut Department of Youth and Families, the Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center provides brief treatment, residential care and educational instruction for abused and neglected teens between the ages of 13 and 17. Youth come to the facility from all over the state. The Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center- South Campus, formerly known as the Riverview Hospital for Children and Youth, is in Middletown.

Annmarie Rotatori, NHS Vice President of Committees reviewed the requested list of needed items from Solnit, divided it and assigned each Homeroom at Mercy specific items to purchased. NHS also collected $1,528. The NHS officers shopped with the funds and purchased additional items on the list. The donated items ranged from health and beauty products to athletic and activity items. Popular items were a bike, hair straighteners, yoga items, books, movies, arts and crafts items, toiletries and boxes of clothing resulting in a van full of gifts that will make the Christmas season brighter for the teens.

Mercy NHS Officers and Solnit staff packing the van
L-R: Abby Smith, Treasurer; Annmarie Rotatori, VP of Committees; Elaine Jackson, Solnit; Kaitlin Leahy,
President; Melanie Clark, Solnit; Catryn Rhoden, VP Tutoring and Bianca LaBella, Secretary