Students give back in Haiti outreach

ROYAL CITY - With an understanding that they have plenty to share, several Red Rock Elementary School students have formed a Humanitarian Club focused on helping the people of Haiti.

The Humanitarian Club is one of several lunch clubs that have been encouraged and are being led by members of the Royal Parent Teacher Organization. Ashlee Frank advises this club.

According to Frank, third- through fifth-grade students from Red Rock are looking beyond themselves to reach out to 20 orphans in Haiti. These students are collecting items needed by the Haitian orphans.

"We are on a time crunch as the items we are collecting need to be gathered by mid-November in order to get them to the designated location in time," Frank said.

The people of Haiti are still recovering from natural disasters that have ravaged the island nation in recent years. Club member McKenzie Garcia noted some Americans speak of owning 20 pairs of shoes while some Haitians have only one pair for a lifetime.

"If we have everything, we should give something," she said.

Student Kaleigh Lafser said: "They have been through a lot and have next to nothing".

All of the students are enthusiastic, Frank said, but they need the help of the community to make their project a success. The group has a collection box inside of Red Rock's doors to gather donations.

Among the needs are shoes (children's size 6 through adult size 8), clothing (youth sizes 4 through 12), toys, bikes, school supplies, and canned foods. The items need to be new or gently used.

If you have difficulty getting your donations to the school, you may call Frank at 750-7884. She will arrange for your donation to be picked up.

"It makes me feel happy to help other people, especially people who do not have as much as we do," student Emma Wilhelm said.

"It feels good to help 20 orphans in Haiti because they need more than we need," student Gina Grant added.