Photo provided Owen Shreve sits next to items he picked out at the 4 Good Community’s mobile school program.
Students at Smith Elementary experienced and reciprocated some giving last week.
4 Good Community’s mobile school program dropped off 1,500 Amazon-donated items last Wednesday, where students were able to pick an item for themselves and another to give to a loved one.
Title One teacher Carmella Musillami, who took the lead organizing the event, said students were overwhelmed when they first heard the Kentucky-based non-profit was coming.
“There were lots of questions, a lot of kids are like, is it free? You know, because that’s so unusual,” Musillami said.
As students filed into the gym and saw the variety of items spread out on tables, Musillami said many gasped at the sight.
“When kids come in, it’s really providing that Christmas morning experience,” 4 Good Community President Jeff Kingery said. “… It’s so rewarding and reassuring with kids because kids are so natural, you know, raw humanity. So when you challenge them to give something, they take that so seriously and earnestly.”
Some students with siblings strategized about who should get what for who.
“Who are you shopping for? Okay, I’ll get for Dad you get for Mom, so there’s a lot of sibling interaction, which was kind of fun and unique to see how they were thinking about how to benefit a lot of people,” Musillami said.
BCSC Director of Elementary Education Dr. Laura Hack said she saw the same.
“What I’ve seen is kids who cannot pick for themselves that are so eager to give to someone else,” Hack said.
C4 student ambassadors helped Smith staff unload the pallets of toys, clothing and home goods.
“Without them, this would’ve been logistically impossible,” Musillami said of the C4 students, who after helping out went up to the library where they heard from Mayor Mary Ferdon.
There was so many items that students couldn’t take home them all— anything leftover will be donated, according to Musillami.
4 Good’s truck carried a large number of Fruit of the Loom and Bombas socks and underwear that ended up being donated to the other three BCSC Title One schools at Taylorsville, Schmitt and Clifty Creek elementary schools.
Non-profit Access-Ability in the United Way Center received donations of a few walkers and the other items remaining were donated to Orphan Grain Train and Sans Souci, Musillami said.
