Highland Lakes Elementary school fourth-graders take their community service project to heart as they gather school supplies for hurricane victims in Charlotte County.
By JANE MADDEN WELCH
Published August 31, 2004
PALM HARBOR - On Aug. 21, 9-year-olds Andrew Peluso and Adam Robinson rode with their families to Arcadia in DeSoto County to volunteer at a makeshift shelter distributing supplies to Hurricane Charley victims.
The nine hours they spent that Saturday passing out rations inspired the Palm Harbor boys with an idea for a community service project that they call "Kids Helping Kids."
"On the drive back we talked about helping the kids by getting school supplies," said Andrew.
"We had taken some crayons and books with us and the little kids were so thrilled to have something to do," said Julie Peluso, Andrew's mother. "The boys expanded from that."
"I really felt bad for the people that lost houses and the kids that are out of school and parents out of work," Adam said.
The boys, both in Kathy Welch's fourth-grade gifted class at Highland Lakes Elementary, have known each other since kindergarten. All the students in the class are required to complete a community service project before the end of the year, a project Welch has required of her gifted classes for three years.
"I'm really hoping that they develop a lifelong desire to volunteer and to realize even a first-grader can make a difference in someone's life," Welch said.
Past service projects have included participating in coastal clean up, adopting a neighborhood park, hanging children's art work in nursing homes and doing chores for an elderly neighbor.
"I try to emphasize to the kids they can help people with very simple ideas," said Welch.
For previous service projects, Andrew collected books for American military troops and Adam raised over $600 for St. Joseph's Cancer Research Society. They decided to work together this year.
Part of their project involved asking classmates to help by drawing posters for display around the school. They are asking for donations of basic school supplies: notebook paper, scissors, backpacks, rulers, pencils, flash cards. Twenty-four classroom necessities are listed on the flier.
"We've been in contact with the Charlotte School Board (chairwoman) and she basically told us they need everything," said Andrew's father, Ken Peluso.
Items will be collected this week in marked boxes placed throughout the school. The boys' fathers will pick up the donations every morning and store them until Sept. 10, when they plan to have a truck deliver the supplies. The two families will go to Charlotte County to distribute them.
Highland Lakes school principal Susan Graham heartily approves of the project. "This is a special cause involving the whole school community," she said. "I think it's awesome."
The students in Welch's class working on the posters were aware of how close Hurricane Charley had come to hitting the Tampa Bay area.
"My neighborhood was right where the eye was going to hit," said Kirsten Stenstrom, 9. "I saw the news and pictures. It was, like, a nightmare, I feel really sorry for them."
Gillian Shaw, 9, said, "I was very worried about what would happen to us ... I turned on the news instead of cartoons."
The 20 fourth-graders in Welch's class agreed "Kids Helping Kids" is a good idea.
"I think this is a good project because I feel bad for all the people who got hurt," said Ben Hurley, 9. "They probably weren't expecting the hurricane because of that last turn it took."
Welch said that embodies the spirit of the community service projects: Having the students realize the importance of reaching out to others, even at an early age.
"I hope that when they become adults they're going to continue to give back to the community," said Welch. "That's my dream."
