Information: homelesspets.com; safepath.org; gacancer.com; smithgilbertgardens.com; georgiaheadstart.org
On the last day of school before the holiday break, instead of the typical holiday parties filled with sweets and treats, the students of the The Walker School’s Lower School spent their mornings working on a variety of service projects to benefit others in their community.
It was the school’s second annual Day of Giving where students from grades 1-5 worked on grade-level-specific projects and celebrated the many ways in which students’ talents and gifts can be used to give back to others.
“It’s a way to give back to our community during a season when so many, our students included, are inundated with conversations about ‘getting’,” said Lower School Principal Mary Howard Nellen. “Giving back to others, and working cooperatively to do so, is a way to teach our students that they can make a big difference in the lives of others.”
The projects included making dog treats and donating used towels to help needy pets at the Homeless Pet Foundation and the Greater Atlanta Veterinary Clinic (first grade); making 24 fleece blankets to give to the Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center for children who are admitted to the center in need of help (second grade); donating student-created “goody bags” for patients at North Georgia Cancer Specialists (third grade); creating 50 unique and inspirational birdhouses that will be auctioned to raise money for Smith-Gilbert Gardens (fourth grade); and the fifth grade students traveled off campus to a Cobb County Head Start PK Program housed at Allgood Elementary School with new and gently used books to share with students and teachers.
They also served as reading buddies to the students during the school’s “Read In Pajamas” day.
At the end of the child’s first visit to SafePath, a center that works to improve the lives of abused children, they are able to select a blanket and a stuffed animal to take home with them.
“Unfortunately, our blanket supply has been running low due to the number of children that have come through our doors this past year,” said Jinger Robins, SafePath CEO. “The second grade class at The Walker School made beautiful blankets for us to give to our children, which has been a huge help.”
When asked what made the Day of Giving special to him, Jordan Goins, 7, said, “When I was tying the blankets with my friends, I felt like I was doing a really good thing for someone else. I learned that it is important to not just get but to give too.”
By participating in Day of Giving, Nellen hopes her students continue to become more aware and thoughtful about how they spend their time and energy.
“We are teaching our students that there are needs in our own community that they can help address. We believe that it’s our role, as educators, to help plant these seeds so our students are ready to thrive as concerned citizens in the world they will inherit once they leave our campus,” she said.
In other news:
Georgia Cancer Specialists and Northside Hospital are collecting backpacks and suitcases for foster children in Georgia as part of the 14th annual totes 2 tots suitcase drive. More than 11,600 children, from infants to teenagers, are currently in the foster care system in Georgia. Many of these children shuffle their belongings in garbage bags when they are removed from their homes. Donations will be accepted 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday at GCS’ Camp Creek and Hawkinsville locations; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday at all other GCS locations; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at New Apostolic Church, Columbus. Information: www.gacancer.com or
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