Students in Sean Fitzgerald’s fourth grade class at the Murphy School – with help from some eighth graders – raised $1,133 for The Women’s Lunch Place shelter in the Back Bay this month by selling homemade Christmas ornaments crafted from a tree that came down in Fitzgerald’s yard.

Fitzgerald said the class has been studying the idea of volunteering and making changes to their community by focusing on words like “altruism.” They wanted to go big for Christmas and decided to create Christmas ornaments from the tree’s branches and sell them to the community.

They set a goal of $500 – which many thought was too high – but eventually doubled that in a week. Eighth graders then pitched in and sold hand-made coasters as well, bringing the overall total to $1,133.

A representative from The Women’s Lunch Place visited Fitzgerald’s classroom last Wednesday to accept the check and tell the students more about their mission and daily operations.

In the classroom on Monday, students told a visitor from the Reporter that they have found it feels much better to give to others rather than to receive a gift themselves. They also said they felt that they had the power to help other people in need around them.

“They have learned that if they want their community to improve, they need to take action and do something,” said Fitzgerald. “We can’t wait for someone else – even a politician like Joe Biden. They have learned they can do something even as kids.”