Chandler students still helping give back

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Allie Diehl is a Basha High School senior who first heard about the Basha Gives Back program during her freshman year.

When she joined Student Government her senior year, she checked off that committee as her first choice.

“When I was placed on the committee, I was very excited to work on this,” Diehl said.

Four years ago, a now-alum Basha student, Brody Jones, started a program that collects, wraps and delivers needed and wanted gifts for disadvantaged Chandler Unified School District students each December. That program has been carried on.

On the morning of Dec. 17, three students brought the last of hundreds of wrapped gifts to the BHS front reception area, where “elves” — otherwise known as district staff members — packed up the gifts in vehicles to deliver to various sites.

Valerie Gyory is a CUSD’s Families In Transition program’s academic advocate. She said this year, the growing December program is serving 91 students from 22 different CUSD schools.

Basha High School students Morgan Blenkle, Makenzie Crawford and Allie Diehl smile next to wrapped gifts about to be distributed to Chandler Unified School District students in need Dec. 17.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

“We started by helping about 70 students, and Student Government handles a lot of it now,” Gyory said. “We ask counselors, teachers and social workers to submit names of students that would benefit, so that we can evenly distribute these gifts around the district.”

Gyory said unhomed students, those in foster care and those who have been victims of domestic violence are often the ones whose names are submitted. But there could be many reasons a student needs an extra symbol that someone cares about them, she said.

Diehl said she’s been involved with Key Club and other volunteer efforts during her Basha years. She plans to
join the collegiate equivalent of Key Club when she pursues her technical theater and design degree at Arizona State University.

“I want to stay involved in my community,” she said.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.  Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.