Martha Shaffer
&
Elizabeth Thomson
8th Grade Pay It Forward Leaders
Community service is something that has been important to
the two of us since we were young, but this year, it took a special turn for
us. In October, the flood devastated the Midlands. We finally understood what
it was like to experience something so tragic in our communities. We also
noticed the support we received from across the country. People drove to South
Carolina from different states to bring supplies. LSU donated a truckload of
water bottles. We were there alongside our friends and neighbors to repair and
recover from what had happened. We finally knew what it meant to be proud to be
a South Carolinian.
One day, in English,
we had a class-wide discussion about the Flint, Michigan water crisis and the
question of whether or not it was a genocide. We were both extremely passionate
about the issue. The day went by, but the two of us were still just as intrigued
about what was happening in Flint as we had been that day. We wanted to do
something.
We discovered exactly what we wanted to do when we had a meeting with
our English teacher, Ms. Odom, and our 8th grade Administrator, Dr. Coletrain.
We created a plan to partner with a school in Flint and collect the supplies
they needed. We were so excited that we were actually getting to do something
for Flint. We brainstormed the logistics of the drive, and we were ready to
begin.
Ever since we hit the ground running, we have been busy at work on this
project. We made posters, digital flyers, powerpoints, and letters to prepare.
We went on the morning announcements to announce the collection. We passed out
boxes to every first period class in the school. We made phone calls to
numerous stores, churches, and other businesses in the community.
We continue to create ideas about ways to improve the outcome of our
drive. We have to problem solve, adapt to change, work with different people,
and manage the project on a daily basis. We keep ourselves updated and research
the Flint crisis extensively. We have become better citizens because of the
work we do.
Running this drive has been extremely hard work, but it has all been
worth it, because we know we are helping others who desperately need it. We
hope that all the students as well as the teachers understand how important it
is to help others. We believe we all can grow from a project like this when we
learn the importance of paying it forward.
The students and teachers of Flint Southwestern Classical
Academy need us. Together, we can Pay It Forward.
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