Hurricane Sandy’s devastation hit Shari Cooper hard. The clinic aide at Taylor Road Middle School in Johns Creek saw her childhood home wiped away from the storm that hit the northeast last month.

“Luckily, everyone was O.K., but my family members and friends had flooding, lost their homes, and belongings,” said Cooper, who is from Edison, N.J. “Living far away, I really wanted to help and do a bit more than just raise money for the [American] Red Cross.”

A fellow teacher at the middle school understood what Cooper was going through.

Carrie Fontan, a math teacher, suffered the same devastation when Hurricane Katrina hit her home of New Orleans seven years ago. After doing some research, Cooper and Fontan found that the Jon Bon Jovi Foundation partnered with the Covenant House to provide relief for the victims of the storm. Covenant House listed provisions that it needed allowing Cooper and Fontan to start a donations drive to help the relief effort.

Until Nov. 30, the teachers and students of Taylor Road Middle School will collect gently-used blankets, sweaters, coats, and new socks from the community to send to Covenant House. “We really need the community’s help to help those affected up north. If someone cannot donate the items, we also need donations towards shipping costs,” added Fontan.

At the end of the effort, the difference left over from shipping donations will be donated to the American Red Cross.

More so, the effort helps teach students how to give back.

“When a disaster strikes, people don’t have a normal routine anymore so it is essential to help them get back to that routine,” said 12-year-old Caroline Kurzawa. “Showing empathy and compassion for someone you don’t even know, just because they are in need, is important because this could happen in your life.”

To get involved with the Taylor Road Middle School’s Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort, please e-mail Shari Cooper at coopers1@fultonschools.org.

In Other News: The Home Depot Foundation and Team Depot volunteers renovated Build an Ark Animal Rescue in Ellijay on Nov. 8. The volunteers constructed a new fence to help the facility play host to therapy sessions for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, an organization that provides immediate and long-term emotional help, hope, and healing to anyone grieving the death of a loved one in military service to America. The project is a part of the company’s annual Celebration of Service campaign.