The Christmas Project is a yearly tradition here at Central Catholic, in which our school collaborates with outside organizations in order to support the least favored in local communities. This project is student-run, and was created by a member of the Central Catholic class of 2004, Elizabeth (Borelli) Richards with the help of history teacher Mr. Lynch in 2001.
This year, the Christmas Project collaborated with Lazarus House Ministries, an organization based in Lawrence, Massachusetts that is dedicated to serving the least favored in the Merrimack Valley. The Lazarus House food pantry serves over 2,000 individuals weekly, and, as can be imagined, they are in even higher demand than normal during the holiday season.
The Lazarus House asks Central Catholic to donate different items each year due to their ever-changing needs. This year, what they really needed above all else was long-lasting, high protein food.
They asked the Central Catholic community to provide 2,000 cans of tuna fish and 200 $25 gift cards to Market Basket during this Christmas season. We are proud to say that not only did we meet both of our goals, we exceeded them, delivering over 2,300 cans of tuna fish, and over 200 $25 Market Basket gift cards. Central Catholic was also able to make an additional monetary donation to Lazarus House. In total, the Christmas Project raised over $10,000 in gifts this year. These donations were delivered to Lazarus House by Central Catholic students, faculty, and staff on December 18th.
The adult leaders of the 2025 Christmas Project were Mrs. Chase, a religion teacher at Central, and Mrs. Blaszak, a campus minister at Central. Helping them achieve this mission are student leaders chosen by the two: seniors Michelle Cuevas Tineo and Sierra Hudson. These teachers and students started organizing the Christmas Project right after the Walk, and collaborated both in person and over email in order to plan and carry out the project.
What the Christmas Project Means to CCHS
Mrs. Blaszak, says that her favorite part of the Christmas Project is “seeing students get involved every year and committed to helping people, especially around Christmas”. She loves to see the “student excitement” that the Christmas project generates throughout Central Catholic.
She also stated that the Christmas Project is important to her because it “draw[s] attention to the fact that Christmas and Advent are not just about what [we] want this time of year, or what gifts [we] would like, but thinking about others, putting other people first”.
Mrs. Blaszak shared that she believes the Christmas Project is important for the Central community because it teaches us to “reach out to those in need” as that is our school’s mission. She also loves how the Christmas Project gives us a chance to be “good neighbors” with Lazarus House, considering that they have five locations for different services near CCHS. She believes that whenever possible, Central should share its “gifts and talents” to help those who are struggling.
Michelle Cuevas Tineo, one of the student leaders, says that her favorite part of the Christmas Project is “seeing people donate and get together in order to help the community”. She also shared that she “loves seeing the videos of people with the cans”, as it shows “the great community [that] Central has”.
To Michelle, the Christmas Project is “a great way to help people in their time of need”, considering harsh conditions of winter, and the high expectations of the holiday season. She states that she “knows [she’s] lucky for what [she] has, and [she] wants to be able to give back in the same way”.
Getting the CCHS Community Involved
Mrs. Blaszak shared that she and the rest of the Christmas Project team “relied heavily on social media advertising”, and making sure that information about the project goes home to the families of Central students. She states that sometimes, certain families are willing to give a little more in donations, and one email can make all the difference.
Mrs. Blaszak also said that students can help the least fortunate by praying for them. She encouraged students to keep the least favored in their prayers, saying that “after making a tuna fish purchase, pray for someone that gets to have that meal down the road”.
Michelle said that a large part of her work with the Christmas Project is advertising, as she writes and sends emails to teachers and students, makes posters, and posts on the Campus Ministry Instagram page. She also tells her friends about the Christmas Project to encourage them to help in any way possible.
Another way that students can get involved in the Christmas Project is by becoming a student leader. Mrs. Blaszak shared that 2-6 students help lead the Christmas Project every year.
Michelle and Sierra, both got involved with the project in their junior year by asking Mrs. Chase if they could help with the project. Michelle shared that “a really good way to get involved in things is just to ask if you can help in any way.” Michelle and Sierra also run Love for Lazarus, which inspired them to become involved in the Christmas Project, as they wanted to be able to help Lazarus House during the holiday season.
Mrs. Blaszak also stated that while there aren’t any sign-ups to be a student leader for the Christmas Project, if a student is interested in becoming involved in the project, they can reach out to her or Mrs. Chase.
During the holiday season, many people develop a kind of tunnel vision for them and their family’s needs, which is understandable, considering that it is a very hectic time of year. However, in reality, that is exactly the opposite of what the holidays are actually about. In life, it is important for people to remember those who are struggling, and do all they can to help them, especially during stressful and demanding times, like Christmas and Advent.
The Christmas Project is a great way to connect the Central Catholic community to the world around us, and remind us of our true mission: to serve the least favored and those in need.
