Now that the winter holiday season is upon us, millions of students across the U.S. face the age old question, "what am I going to do during Christmas break?"

Well, if you're Hinsdale Central High School junior Corinne Smith, you'll find yourself volunteering to help bring cheer to children.

Earlier this week, Corinne handed out approximately 40 gift bags to young patients and their siblings at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, providing them with activities to do while they awaited treatment or test results.  The disbursement of the bags was the culmination of a volunteer project she started a few weeks ago.

Recently, Corinne was nominated to join the National Honor Society. She already has a 5.0 grade point average so she definitely met the academic requirements. However, she was also required to complete 20 hours of volunteer work. She chose to volunteer with Hinsdale-based charitable organization, "Busy Bags."

Busy Bags was founded by Hinsdale resident and HCHS graduate Lizzy Awick.  The organization collects stuffed animals, toys and other small comfort items and distributes them to young patients. The gifts help pass the time for these children while they are hospitalized or being assessed for treatments or medical procedures.  Many times, the siblings of the young patients spend a lot of time in the hospital with them. so they too, are offered these comfort items.

Awick got the idea to set up her charitable organization based on personal experience.  Her younger brother Conor suffered from a congenital heart defect that required him to undergo many surgeries. Lizzy and Conor spent a lot of tedious hours at hospitals and thus the idea for Busy Bags was born.

Corinne also had a similar experience. "I volunteered with Busy Bags because it's an organization I can relate to. My young cousin suffers from viral induced asthma and has been admitted to hospital on various occasions. I also know Lizzy and her brother Conor."

Corinne started her volunteer work with Busy Bags this time around by drafting a letter requesting contributions. Next, she identified potential local donors and, with the help of her mom Anne, reached out to them via email. In no time at all, they had raised $355. They then went to the local Target store and bought coloring books, crayons, small handheld games, and made gift bags.

Aside from the National Honor Society, Corinne is also involved in cheerleading, poms, Ambassadors, A.C.E., freshman orientation and, the lacrosse team at HCHS. After graduation, she intends to major in kinesiology, physical therapy or, other related majors. She's interested in applying to Vanderbilt University, University of Illinois @ Champaign-Urbana and, University of Michigan to name a few.

Corinne's volunteer work did not go unnoticed by the staff at the Adventist Hinsdale Hospital.

"Adventist Hinsdale Hospital's pediatric patients will have a merrier Christmas because of these busy bags," said Susan King, executive director of the Hinsdale Hospital Foundation, which coordinated the delivery of the busy bags. "Corinne's donation exemplifies the generosity of the Hinsdale community."

This is not the first time Corinne has helped out with charitable organizations. In October, she participated in the traditional HCHS Powder Puff football game. Proceeds from that event helped collect thousands of dollars to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation and for the Teacher's In Need (TIN) foundation.