OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) – Monday was the start of an annual tradition at Surfside Educational Academy up in Oceanside.
“It means a lot to be able to do something like this for our kids and for them to be able to come in and shop for themselves and their family, and there's no charge,” Felicia Andrade, Campus Supervision for Surfside Educational Academy, said.
With it being time for the holidays, and people are scrambling to go get those gifts, the school is doing an annual holiday pop-up shop for their students to have a chance to do their holiday shopping for free.
“We've been here seven years, I think. We just couldn't do it during COVID. But yes, we've been doing it for quite some time,” Andrade said.
“I've been here since I was a freshman, and every year that I've been here, it's always been like the pop-up shop during Christmas time, and it's always been something I've looked forward to,” Gigi Soliz, a Surfside Educational Academy senior, said.
The students here at Surfside are able to rifle through the racks of clothes and much more throughout the week, according to Andrade.
“It's all donated every year. We get so many great donations,” Andrade said.
Oceanside Unified said that staff members have been collecting new and gently used items over the past two months for the pop-up shop.
All the items the kids can fit into their shopping bags can be gift-wrapped. So that way, they can bring that joy over the holidays.
“You know what, it does take a lot of stress off of my shoulders, especially being 17, not having a job right now. So, it makes me happy to be able to get things for other people and make them feel appreciated,” Soliz said.
“Organizers said the inspiration for the event is, well, of course, for the kids.
“That's why we continue to do what we do because it gives them the opportunity to be able to get something really nice to one of their family members,” Andrade said. “Just seeing the excitement on their faces as they come in and listening to them tell us like, ‘I’m going get this for, you know, whoever in their family and can't wait to get a gift wrapped to take home.”
