Newberry High seniors and the two guidance counselors prepared the secret santa gifts Wednesday morning to be delivered all across the county.

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Gifts and boxes of food were loaded into the Sheriff's Department's deputies vehicles Wednesday morning at Newberry High. The deputies and Newberry High seniors, as well as a few volunteers, headed out to homes across the county. Here, Newberry High senior Cohanskie Goodson helps load up a vehicle.

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Dorothy Little was surprised and elated to receive her secret santa gifts and expressed her thanks. She gave hugs to the Newberry High seniors and wished all a Merry Christmas.

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Sylvia Jackson was thrilled at receiving her gifts and wanted pictures with the crew to remember this Christmas season. From left to right are: Jamie Fulmer, Jackson, Cohanskie Goodson and Lieutenant Ben Chapman.

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Sylvia Jackson was filled with excitement to see the secret santas at her door Wednesday morning. Here she receives her gifts from the Newberry High seniors Jamie Fulmer and Cohanskie Goodson.

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One Newberry resident receives his secret santa goodies Wednesday morning.

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NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry High students gathered at the school Wednesday morning to help deliver Secret Santa gifts.

Even though winter break had started that morning for the students, they still volunteered their time for the Secret Santa for Seniors project that is a part of the Living Water Foundation’s special projects.

Renee Martin with the Living Water and Candice Dixon, guidance counselor at Newberry High were in charge of the project in its second year.

Seniors from Newberry High volunteered to spread the word to the community and raise money in order to buy gifts for senior citizens and the less fortunate all around the county.

This year, the group was fortunate to have turkeys and boxes of food donated from Louis-Rich in Newberry. There were 48 boxes and turkeys each which meant there were enough for each and whatever is left over will be donated to a local food pantry, according to Martin.

There were about 46 homes, Martin said which expanded from the Newberry city limits to Whitmire and Pomaria and also to Prosperity, Little Mountain and even one in Chapin.

This was actually a bit more than last year, she said.

The students were joined by the Sheriff’s Department deputies who assist the students upon visiting the homes.

Tears of Joy

One homeowner, Dorothy Little, was greeted by the secret santas Wednesday morning along with Lieutenant Ben Chapman.

Little’s astonishment was greeted by tears as she expressed her thanks and gave hugs to everyone.

The Newberry resident received her free food and gifts that someone had purchased for her.

Another resident, Sylvia Jackson, greeted the secret santas with excitement and thanked them. Other residents were happy, and surprised, to see people show up at their stoop with Christmas gifts.

The recipients across the county were happy to receive unexpected gifts for their Christmas season.

The Secret Santa for Seniors should resume again next year. For more information about the Living Water Foundation, contact Martin at 530-6720.

The Living Water Foundation is a non-profit organization encouraging all people of Newberry County to achieve a better quality of life through education, resource information and/or financial assistance.