Students in every Minerva House were busy with school work Thursday evening, although not their usual course work. They were assembling special school kits for children whose lives and studies have been disrupted by Hurricane Katrina.
“This project presents a unique opportunity for the Minervas to use the strength of their communities for a greater good – to further the relief effort in the Gulf Coast Region,” says Varun Shetty '08 of Golub House, one of the student leaders behind the initiative. “Each of the seven Minervas has pledged money to purchase supplies for primary and secondary school children.”
Shetty, who has been working closely with Gretchel Tyson, community outreach director, and Viki Brooks-McDonald, campus interfaith chaplain, says the total effort is expected to raise more than $2,700, making it possible to put together kits for 348 displaced children.
Each kit contains a notebook, construction paper, pencils, a large eraser, sharpener, ruler, box of crayons and a pair of scissors.
When complete, the kits will be sent from the Kenney Community Center to the distribution center of Church World Services in Baltimore, Md., one of many groups coordinating delivery to Katrina's most vulnerable survivors.
Thousands of children in the Gulf Coast have seen their lives, including their homes, schools and in many cases, entire communities, washed away by Hurricane Katrina this fall.
“I hope that our efforts will give a little something special to a community in need,” said Emily Clark '06 of Beuth House. “I think it must be hardest on the children. Many of them are starting new schools in unfamiliar environments, and we wanted to help ease their transition in a small way. I'm hoping that lots of our students will feel like they haven't contributed enough time, energy or money to helping the victims of this terrible disaster. This is an easy way to give a little bit of time for others who do not have very much.”
Brooks-McDonald said that while it's easy for many of us to get distracted by our own busy lives, “it's important to remember that so many people continue to struggle with the day-to-day tasks we often take for granted.”