HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A Dauphin County student is once again collecting socks and blankets to help hundreds of children in the Harrisburg community.

The Salvation Army in Harrisburg is helping nearly 5,000 children this Christmas season with 1,600 households being served.

The Salvation Army building’s gym is turned into a workshop with over 1,000 boxes stretched across the room. Each box represents a child that will be helped this Christmas.

“In that box there is a wish, which is typically something fun,” Jenny Gallagher Blom with the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army also looks for a need the children may have, whether it’s a warm coat or a blanket. For some families, it’s the only gift they’ll receive this Christmas season.

To help make sure every child receives something warm this year, West Hanover Township’s Stella Gasper organized her third sock and blanket drive for The Salvation Army Harrisburg. In her first year she collected hundreds of socks and blankets for donation.

This year the Central Dauphin 10th grader has collected over 600 pairs of socks and more than 100 blankets.

Three years of donations total more than 2,200 pairs of socks and blankets collected by Stella.

“I just want to be able to spread the warmth,” she says.

“She always thinks about other people,” says her mom Jessica Gasper. “She’s such a kind soul, she wants to make sure everyone feels included.”

“I have gotten so much from the community,” says Stella, “like with donations from my sock and blanket drive I want to be able to go and help and really give back.”

The items that Stella collects will go to students who weren’t sponsored in The Salvation Army’s program.

“So now there’s going to be something warm that they can put on their bodies that will be in their box,” says Blom.

“I just want to be able to look back later in life and just be like, I was able to do this,” says Stella. “I just can’t wait to make all these kids and families happy with all the socks and blankets.”