PROCTORVILLE — The children in Mollie Fisher’s special needs class get a chance to make the holidays better for others. That’s what they did last year when they joined in the Secret Santa program. And they’re going to be doing the same this Christmas.

And while they’re helping others, they are learning important life skills for themselves.

“I teach them basic skills,” Fisher, an interventionist at Fairland Middle School, explained. “I teach them how to wrap gifts, how to prepare it, from the money to making lists on where to go and shop. My children go out into the community and apply what I have taught them.”

Fisher’s class will take names given to them from the Secret Santa program and then go out to the stores paired up with other Fairland students.

“We go to the Dollar Store, Target and the Huntington Mall,” Fisher said. “We go all day long. They learn the lessons of counting money, giving change. I bring the store ads in and we predict how much it will cost. A lot of people may think they can’t handle that, but they can.

“It is great way for my kids to interact with regular ed kids. This is another way to make friends.”

It also teaches her children how important it is to give back to their community. The children they shop for come from the Fairland district.

This year the requests for help may exceed all the resources of the Secret Santa. That will happen if the community doesn’t step up and help the program with either cash donations or sponsoring children and buying them clothes and gifts directly.

“I can’t say enough about the program,” Fisher said. “I absolutely adore it. I love it. Right now the economy is so bad. This teaches adults and children how important it is to give back. How a little time and money can make a difference in a child’s life.”

Those who want to help the program can do so by sending their checks of any amount they wish made out to the LEDC Secret Santa and mail them to the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce office, P.O. Box 488, South Point, OH 45680.

Or they can also help out by sponsoring some children by contacting Casey Baker of the program at 304-691-8410 or emailing at lcypgroup@gmail.com.