Inspired by reading the book The Lady in the Box, fifth-grade students at Hurffville Elementary School did their own part in giving back to the homeless. The fifth-graders took part in a “Kindness in a Box Project” that ran through Dec. 16.
During Thanksgiving week, teachers shared The Lady in the Box, by Ann McGovern, with the students. The story is about a relationship that is formed between two children and a homeless woman. After reading the book, the teachers presented the students with “The Kindness in the Box” idea to encourage students and families to get involved with making life a little bit better for people who are homeless.
Students and families who were interested were asked to fill shoeboxes with items that might be appreciated by the homeless. Suggested items included travel-size toiletries, gloves, hats, scarves, wipes, non-perishable food items, hand/footwarmers and more. Students were asked to be creative with other inclusions. Many students chose to decorate their shoeboxes, and there was no limit on the number of boxes a student or family could contribute.
The school has displayed a “giving table” in the fifth-grade pod where they have stacked the boxes for all of the students to see. As of Thursday, 53 completed boxes have been donated, with many more expected. Last year, the school did a similar drive that yielded nearly 100 box donations. As they did a year ago, the teachers will take the boxes to a homeless shelter in Camden to distribute.
“It truly is a season of giving, and a remarkable opportunity for our kids to feel like they can make an important difference,” fifth-grade teacher Gail McGinty said.