Students Collect Books, Cans for Community

Westchester Country Day School students collected and wrapped more than 1,340 books for students at Fairview, Friendship, and Northwood Elementary Schools during a school-wide C.A.R.E.S. Crew event on Friday, Nov. 22. They also collected more than 800 pounds of food and nonperishable items for Camp Out for Hunger.

The number of books collected during this annual Thanksgiving activity almost doubled this year. Westchester Middle School students will deliver the books during a service learning day on Friday, Dec. 6.

This is the first year canned goods have been collected for Camp Out for Hunger, a community effort supporting the Greater High Point Food Alliance. David Smith, who organized the collection and camped out at Deep River Friends Meeting, shared a short presentation with students about food insecurity and the goal to collect 25,000 pounds of food for local food pantries.

“It’s so important for you to keep this need in your heart and find other ways you can get involved in the community,” Smith told the students. “We’re doing this collection to get us through the holidays, but there is a need year-round.”

Students Pre-K through 12 worked together to giftwrap the books and weigh the canned goods. C.A.R.E.S. (Compassion, Awareness, Responsibility, Empathy, Service) Crews pair older and younger buddies from different grades together to participate in community service opportunities multiple times a school year.

“These collections took an effort from everyone – some brought a little, some brought a lot, but added up it really does make a difference,” said Blair Hawley, head of the Lower School at WCDS, who coordinated the C.A.R.E.S. Crew event. “It’s what we want all of our students to learn. Compassion, empathy, doing an act of service will really make an impact in our community.”