A modest project at Riverside Elementary School to help needy families has blossomed into a full-blown effort that’s receiving community-wide support.
“It’s just awesome. We’ve had so much help,” said spokesman Michelle Sheldon, a counselor at the school. “We haven’t wanted to take away from Salvation Army and some of those (other holiday charitable projects), so no, we haven’t advertised for it. But people are just so willing to help.”
This year, 33 to 35 families are expected to be served, “but at the last minute, we always get a couple more,” she said. Eligibility to be recipients came from applications from families and recommendations from teachers, office staff and counselors.
“Families are always asked if they would like to participate,” she said.
The project began in 2005, when organizers collected food, clothing and shoes, and invited families in to choose what they needed.
The following year, they added toys to the items to be given away.
“We’re also trying to focus on undergarments, too, and also more household items, like bedding,” she said.
Productive activities also have been planned for children to do while their families choose what they need and get it loaded into cars.
“This year, the kids are going into a room to make gifts for their parents,” Sheldon said. Movies also will be shown.
The giveaway began Tuesday at 5 p.m. and ended about 6:30.
Students and staff, however, started preparing for the event as soon as lunch was cleared away in the multi-purpose room.
Money and merchandise has come from a variety of sources.
Roy Johnson, who donated a turkey for every needy family last year, received help this year from Wal-Mart manager Randy Heavener, who put in $100 toward the turkeys. Peggy Myers at Wal-Mart also donated clothing.
Fourth-grade teacher Troy Chapman challenged a high-school class and a financial institution to contribute as well as his students.
“And whoever loses has to serve ice cream to the other,” Sheldon said.
Emporia State University Federal Credit Union and Lyon County State Bank employees responded with food and other items; Grace and First United Methodist Churches gave toys and money; New for You donated clothing and toys; Joyce and Mike Reynolds contributed toys for all ages; Jeanne Turner provided Christmas items; and Cindy Baysinger chipped in toys, clothing, food, and money.
Teacher Mike Strickland and his biology class at Emporia High School turned in food items, and Thomas Transfer provided more than 60 boxes to use as food containers. Riverside staff also contributed heavily to the effort.
Sheldon said that classes are competing with each other in a contest to bring in the most food items. The winning class will get $100 to spend any way it chooses.
“So we’ve got some pretty fun competition going on within the school,” she said.
After hearing a presentation from school nurse Terri Thompson, members of Sunrise Rotary Club volunteered to help as a service project, by bringing in donations and items to flesh out the merchandise available. On Tuesday evening, they were on hand to work, too.
“We’ll be helping carry stuff out to people’s cars, boxing things up or bagging things up, so that it makes a smooth transition for these folks and helps out the Riverside staff,” Sunrise President Mark Schreiber said before the event.
“We’re just kind of Santa’s little helpers.”
ks_farmboy (anonymous) says...
just like emporia to take care of its people. this is why i call emporia home.
December 20, 2007 at 4:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )