How NarroWay's Theatre Students are Giving 53 Foster Kids the Christmas They Deserve

Students at NarroWay Productions in Fort Mill were in the middle of rehearsals for their fall performances when they learned about children in the foster care system who wouldn't receive gifts. DSS Team Lead Nicole Phillips had reached out to NarroWay Education Director Lindsey Phillips with a stack of Christmas wish lists that told heartbreaking stories through simple requests. Some kids were asking for basic necessities—deodorant, socks, clothing. Others dreamed bigger: bicycles, toys, things most of us take for granted as standard childhood experiences.

"We presented the need as a service project to students in our homeschool theatre classes and they came on board quickly," Lindsey Phillips said. She posted the wish lists through SignUpGenius, hoping for a good response.

What happened next exceeded everyone's expectations.

In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, these students dove headfirst into making Christmas happen for kids they'd never even met. The final count? Over 225 gifts purchased for 53 children.

But here's what really makes this story special: several students made a choice that's pretty rare in today's world. Instead of exchanging presents with their friends, they redirected that money toward the foster children. Others tapped into their own savings accounts.

"Some of my friends and I went shopping together," said student Caitlin Brenner. "It was so much fun to buy for people I don't know and get what they wanted. I want to do it again!"

Read that again: "I want to do it again." That's the sound of generosity becoming contagious.

Theatre teaches kids a lot of valuable skills—confidence, teamwork, creative expression. But what these students learned through this project goes deeper than any script or stage direction.

"It's amazing to see kids and teens embracing what Christmas is really about and giving from the heart," Phillips reflected. "They're learning through action what it means to be generous and compassionate. It goes hand in hand with the NarroWay mission to inspire greatness and instill virtue in people of all ages."

As these students take the stage for their fall semester performances this week, they're carrying something more than rehearsed lines and choreography. They're carrying the knowledge that they made a real difference in the lives of children who needed someone to show up for them.

There are over 200 students currently enrolled in NarroWay's homeschool theatre classes, ranging from age 6 to 19. Demand is so high that the company is adding additional classes for spring 2026. "The need for quality education in the creative arts is there," says Phillips. "Parents want to know they can send their kids into a creative learning environment that won't compromise their values."

But beyond enrollment numbers and class schedules, stories like this remind us what's possible when young people are given the opportunity to serve. These students didn't just learn about theatre and performance technique. They lived out compassion and empathy - they lived it, shopped for it, wrapped it up with ribbon, and delivered it to kids who needed to know someone cared.

53 foster children will wake up on Christmas morning with presents to open because a group of theatre students decided that every kid deserves a little magic during the holidays.

Now that's a performance worth applauding.