While some kids got the new iPhone or that winter jacket they had been begging for, one student was more interested in how she could give this Christmas, helping to make her friend’s Christmas one to remember.

When Senior Britney Perry learned that her friend and OHSET teammate Alex Russell wasn’t going to be exchanging gifts with her family for Christmas this year, she felt as though she had to take action.

“Although giving and receiving presents isn’t the point of the holiday, I knew that I wanted to get something together. I didn’t want her feel singled out with nothing new, while everyone else got to show off what they got,” says Perry. And with the help of the Reimann family and Castillo family, they were able to provide Alex and her family with gifts on Christmas morning.

However, not all Christmas stories have had such a happy ending. One in five children in the US were unsure if they would have presents or even dinner on Christmas night. In Britain, about 10% of families relied on charitable donations in order to meet basic needs like food and shelter in the month of December.

Luckily, there are people like Perry who wanted to do good this season.

In Carlton, almost 400 pounds of food was collected for the Carlton food bank for Christmas. In Weston, a local resident donated more than 200 gifts to the local schoolchildren.

Perry says that this idea of selflessness is what really matters during the holidays. “I did it simply because that was what felt right. Alex is such a kind person with an amazing heart and there is no one more deserving.”