Kernersville Elementary School and Kernersville Middle School worked together to provide over 800 sweatshirts to students impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Following Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ Water for Watauga campaign immediately after the storm, which saw an outpouring of water donations that went to Watauga and Buncombe County, the Kernersville community wanted to make an extra effort of their own. They considered collecting toys ahead of the holidays, but they eventually settled on sweatshirts as a practical item that everyone would need this winter.
Thanks to ambitious fundraising efforts by students and collaboration from HanesBrands and Pages Printing, the schools were able to assemble $6471.96, good for 827 sweatshirts for Mitchell Middle School in Mitchell County, and they were even able to print them with the Mitchell Miners logo. A transport left Kernersville Middle this morning with a large enough supply that both students and staff members will get to go home with a sweatshirt, as well as a check for an additional $1,910.50 to support the school.
School Social Worker Lisa May says that this project has been excellent for building community on WS/FCS campuses in the Kernersville area. She says that creating opportunities for students to selflessly take care of their neighbors is a meaningful real-world translation of the values they learn in their social-emotional learning sessions. It’s also been encouraging to see so many people outside of the school who were willing to help.
“This is a great season for us to teach our kids about giving without receiving,” May said. “It’s a really special way to bring our school and our community together.”