Teaming Up to Help Our Neighbors
In October, South Carolina was hit with historic flooding due to Hurricane Joaquin. Many families in the Midlands and Lowcountry lost their belongings, and some lost their homes. Our students sprang into action, organizing drives to collect water, toiletries, food, school supplies, and many other items to send to families in need. Here is a sampling of what our students collected to help their peers.
A.J. Whittenberg Elementary – Floating Hope to Columbia
Collected 1,257 rolls of toilet paper, 2,292 diapers, 1,397 water bottles, and 47 gallons of water
Augusta Circle Elementary - Raise Craze Service Celebration
Raised $15,000 for South Kilbourne Elementary in Columbia
Blue Ridge High – Future Farmers of America
Collected water, canned foods, paper products, baby items, first aid items, pet food, school supplies, and stuffed animals to donate to a sister Agriculture school in the lower part of the state
Blythe Academy of Languages – Green Team and Student Council
Collected 236 water bottles, 20 gallons of water, 50 spiral notebooks, 57 bottles of shampoo and conditioner, 43 school items including crayons, markers, and paper
Bryson Middle School Collection Drive for Flood Victims
Our grand total was 559 items. That included 428 items of food (canned goods, snack items, fruit cups, breakfast items, etc), 20 baby items (baby food, diapers, and wipes), 9 personal hygiene items, 39 bottles of juice and Gatorade, and 63 bottles of water. All of these items were taken to Harvest Hope Food Bank.
Buena Vista Elementary - Project Paws
Collected 40 rolls of paper towels, 15 packs of silverware, 45 packs of drinks, 75 canned goods items, 4 large boxes of diapers, 20 condiments, 15 sets of microwaveable dishes, 20 packs of plates, cups and bowls
Carolina High & Academy
Students collected bottled water, non-perishable foods, personal hygiene items, first aid supplies, baby items, and pet supplies.
Central Office Staff
Central Office personnel collected bottled water, snacks, and toiletry items
Chandler Creek Elementary
Third grade students collected bottled water, non-perishable food items, clothing, school supplies, and other relief supplies.
Greer High Beta Club and Leo Club
Students collected toiletry items, blankets, diapers, baby foods, and other relief items.
Hillcrest High CAN and SADD Clubs
Students collected over 800 bottles of water, several cases of canned goods, diapers, and other toiletry items to deliver to the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia.
Maintenance Department Staff
Collected water, canned food, paper items, and toiletries and delivered to the Lowcountry
Mitchell Road Elementary
Collected 456 non-perishable food items, 11 cases of water, 27 gallons of water, 22 individual water bottles, 64 cleaning items, and 32 personal care items
Monaview Elementary
Partnering with ELCA Lutheran Disaster Relief, students collected baby items, cleaning items, and non-perishable food donations.
Oakview Elementary
The Oakview Owls Student Council and PTA partnered to collect school supplies and other needed materials for Sachel Ford Elementary School and Timmerman School. Items included hand sanitizer, towels, toiletries, socks, clothing, diapers, baby wipes, Clorox wipes, book, and school supplies for students and teachers.
Plain Elementary
Collected 3,026 items: 143 wash cloths, 698 bottles of water, 46 blankets, 60 books/toys, 115 paint supplies, 30 canned food items, 237 bathroom supplies, 860 diapers, 98 toothbrushes/toothpaste, 29 packages of baby wipes, 240 articles of clothing, and 480 school supply items
Riverside High
The Swim and Cross Country Teams joined together to help flood victims in Sumter, SC. Many of the students attending Lemira Elementary in Sumter were directly affected by flood waters and were in need of shoes, clothing, and toiletries. The response was so great that they had to rent a truck to make the trip to Sumter with supplies.
Robert E. Cashion Elementary – Kid to Kid Book Drive
Book drive for Satchel Ford School in Richland 1 – Satchel Ford’s library was flooded and will require remodeling or rebuilding before they can restock it with books. The students at R.E. Cashion Elementary collected a variety of books to help meet their needs for the remainder of the school year.
Simpsonville Elementary
The SES Student Council collected supplies that will be delivered to the SC PTA office in Columbia for distribution to area schools. They include cleaning wipes, backpacks, paper, crayons, pencils, and other supplies.
Summit Drive Elementary
Fifth graders held a drive to collect bottled water, canned goods, diapers, blankets, and cleaning supplies to donate to Flowertown Elementary and Beech Hill Elementary in Summerville, SC.
Washington Center
Collected food diapers and other essentials for Harvest Hope; also dog food and beds, blankets, dish soap for Pawmetto Lifeline in Columbia