Bay Area Citizen - News
Teens start Operation CRAYON to help other families
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| McWhirter Elementary in Webster hosts Operation CRAYON, helping families displaced by the hurricane. |
By NEESHA HOSEIN
Kids in the local community have put their free time to good use with Operation CRAYON (Children Rallying Assistance for Youth of Need), helping others displaced by Hurricane Ike.
Operation CRAYON is based out of McWhirter Elementary on 300 Pennsylvania Avenue in Webster and runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, ending this Friday.
The program was created to help families who suffered losses after the hurricane and are in need of things like school uniforms, clothes, shoes, school supplies and backpacks.
“It’s a two-part process,” said Eva-Marie deCardenas, coordinator of external affairs for CCISD. “We have the new student enrollment going on in the front area and that is the hardcore registering, getting them situated and then they pass on through here and the families are shepherded throughout the shopping process.”
Neatly stacked piles of clothing items and school supplies are on tabletops throughout one of the school’s gymnasiums, maintained by mostly student volunteers.
deCardenas coordinates the student volunteers and said “ there’s no shortage of volunteers on the schedule” and the program is student-initiated, student-led and the kids made and designed most of the signs and posters by hand.
The outpouring of help comes from groups like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school volleyball and basketballl teams, Cavaliers and more.
“You’ve got the core group of kids who started this and then they tell their friends, then that group tells their friends, parents, neighbors and it’s passed by word of mouth,” deCardenas said.
“The kids are the ones who said they wanted to do something” said Tina Farrell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for CCISD. “ So I said OK and I drove around and saw some of the damages and realized there would be kids who would have no clothes, shoes, backpacks, nothing.”
Many of the student leaders were themselves displaced, counting their losses and living without power and were inspired to reach out and help other kids who suffered the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Farrell said.
Farrell, her husband and members of the staff went into the Seabrook community and passed out flyers because so many were without electricity.
Farell said this was their way of showing the community “we are here to serve them and also here to serve our staff, our bus drivers, transportation workers, food service workers, and maintenance workers” whose families were also affected.
Farrell said that is how Operation CRAYON was born. The kids came out and started collecting donations and it spiraled from there.
Last week Friday it started off with a box of crayons and by Saturday the room was full and donations just started to poor in after that and the kids have done a great job of keeping it all in working order, Farrell said.
Since classes begin Sept. 29 for CCISD, teachers, administrators, retired teachers, PTA members and all other willing participants are coming out to finish up the program, Farrell said.
Cindy Grisham, from the office of the Chief Financial Officer, is a volunteer and helps take the families around and show them what is available to them.
“The little kids come in looking dazed and sad and by the time they leave their faces light up,” Grisham said. “We give the kids beanie babies as comfort toys before they leave. It is our community and we have to take care of them. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Monetary donations include: League City Lions Club, Space Center Rotary, Hometown Bank of League City, and Boeing.
In-kind donations include: Walmart in Pearland gave $10,000 school supplies, Target stores in Clear Lake Shores, Bay Area, and League City gave approximately $1000 each of donated clothes and backpacks; Dr. Cynthia R. Castille and Dr. M. Gerard Castille provided hundreds of tubes of toothpaste and floss and Dr. Lynn Davis contributed hundreds of toothbrushes; CiCis in Webster donated pizzas and drinks, on Sunday for 100 at Camp Bay; San Lorenzo's in League City gave food for 100 on Saturday at Camp Bay.
Operation CRAYON is based out of McWhirter Elementary on 300 Pennsylvania Avenue in Webster and runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, ending this Friday.
The program was created to help families who suffered losses after the hurricane and are in need of things like school uniforms, clothes, shoes, school supplies and backpacks.
“It’s a two-part process,” said Eva-Marie deCardenas, coordinator of external affairs for CCISD. “We have the new student enrollment going on in the front area and that is the hardcore registering, getting them situated and then they pass on through here and the families are shepherded throughout the shopping process.”
Neatly stacked piles of clothing items and school supplies are on tabletops throughout one of the school’s gymnasiums, maintained by mostly student volunteers.
deCardenas coordinates the student volunteers and said “ there’s no shortage of volunteers on the schedule” and the program is student-initiated, student-led and the kids made and designed most of the signs and posters by hand.
The outpouring of help comes from groups like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school volleyball and basketballl teams, Cavaliers and more.
“You’ve got the core group of kids who started this and then they tell their friends, then that group tells their friends, parents, neighbors and it’s passed by word of mouth,” deCardenas said.
“The kids are the ones who said they wanted to do something” said Tina Farrell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for CCISD. “ So I said OK and I drove around and saw some of the damages and realized there would be kids who would have no clothes, shoes, backpacks, nothing.”
Many of the student leaders were themselves displaced, counting their losses and living without power and were inspired to reach out and help other kids who suffered the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Farrell said.
Farrell, her husband and members of the staff went into the Seabrook community and passed out flyers because so many were without electricity.
Farell said this was their way of showing the community “we are here to serve them and also here to serve our staff, our bus drivers, transportation workers, food service workers, and maintenance workers” whose families were also affected.
Farrell said that is how Operation CRAYON was born. The kids came out and started collecting donations and it spiraled from there.
Last week Friday it started off with a box of crayons and by Saturday the room was full and donations just started to poor in after that and the kids have done a great job of keeping it all in working order, Farrell said.
Since classes begin Sept. 29 for CCISD, teachers, administrators, retired teachers, PTA members and all other willing participants are coming out to finish up the program, Farrell said.
Cindy Grisham, from the office of the Chief Financial Officer, is a volunteer and helps take the families around and show them what is available to them.
“The little kids come in looking dazed and sad and by the time they leave their faces light up,” Grisham said. “We give the kids beanie babies as comfort toys before they leave. It is our community and we have to take care of them. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Monetary donations include: League City Lions Club, Space Center Rotary, Hometown Bank of League City, and Boeing.
In-kind donations include: Walmart in Pearland gave $10,000 school supplies, Target stores in Clear Lake Shores, Bay Area, and League City gave approximately $1000 each of donated clothes and backpacks; Dr. Cynthia R. Castille and Dr. M. Gerard Castille provided hundreds of tubes of toothpaste and floss and Dr. Lynn Davis contributed hundreds of toothbrushes; CiCis in Webster donated pizzas and drinks, on Sunday for 100 at Camp Bay; San Lorenzo's in League City gave food for 100 on Saturday at Camp Bay.
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