After flooding left Louisiana with excessive damage, Jackson Elementary teacher Lindsay Anders held a school supply drive to help those in need.
It’s not uncommon for teachers to pay out of pocket to ensure they have adequate school supplies for their classroom. Even so, Jackson Elementary school teachers made their pennies go a bit further at the start of this school year.
Lindsay Anders, who teaches fifth grade at Jackson, has family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Flooding Friday, Aug. 12, left immense damage in the the Pelican State and many residents are still in need of federal aid.
States away, Anders wanted to help.
“I didn’t think that the media was giving it good coverage,” Anders, who has just started her fourth year at Jackson, said. “My family said it was really bad, so I wanted to help.”
Anders’ family members told her the state was in need of school supplies for students. Anders sent an email to her co-workers, asking them to donate extra school supplies if they were able.
“A lot of the school had brought in hundreds of dollars worth of school supplies,” Anders said.
Supplies included folders, binders, notebooks, paper, pencils and more.
“They brought in anything and everything. Some also brought sanitary and hygiene products. The faculty was really generous, they pitched in a lot,” Anders said.
Anders collected supplies for about two weeks before sending the materials to Louisiana, where they were dispersed at Southdowns Pre-K Center in Baton Rouge.
Learning Compassion
As she collected supplies, Anders’ students took note of the growing pile of materials in her classroom. They asked her about it.
“I think we forget a lot that they don’t watch the news,” Anders said. “I played news clips for them. They felt sympathy.”
Many of Anders’ kids approached her about helping the flood victims, but Anders didn’t want them to ask their parents to buy additional supplies. Instead, she had her students make cards to be given to children in the Baton Rouge area.
Still, she said, her students surprised her. One of her students brought in her allowance to give to the school
supply fund, and others donated their own supplies.
Outside of the school, the community was willing to help. The UPS store on James L. Redman Parkway gave Anders a discount on shipping and helped her package the school supplies. She sent the package to Louisiana Friday, Aug. 26.
Because of the small supply drive, Anders’ students have taken a personal interest in learning more about current events in the nation.
“The kids are paying attention to the news more,” Anders said. “I’ve been teaching about current events more. Right now we’re focusing on the Paralympics. They’re really enjoying watching clips and seeing how crazy good these athletes are.”
Should Louisiana need it, Anders said, she wouldn’t be opposed to doing another drive for school supplies.
“Everyone responded to it,” she said. “The kids had the realization that when things are going bad in their lives, there’s always someone going through worse. It makes them feel empowered to make a difference and that there’s some way to help. The kids are empathetic. I’m grateful for the support of the school. The school staff is great and they’re always helpful.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
