Students at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado, brought about 20,000 diapers earlier this month to charitable organizations that help mothers in need of assistance, according to Students for Life of America, a national organization that hopes to “abolish abortion in our lifetime.”
“The mission of our school focuses a lot on serving others and teaching us to be men and women with and for others,” said Cassidy Roderick, a senior at the Catholic high school in suburban Denver. “This drive really gave a tangible way for students to get involved and help some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“A lot of students really got into it and were encouraging one another to bring in diapers and get involved in the drive. Everyone was so excited to see how many diapers we got, and the success was really a huge encouragement to our school community.”
The donation went to Catholic Charities and Alternatives Pregnancy Center, both in Denver. The Students for Life club at the school spread the word via flyers and word of mouth. Some teachers gave extra credit to students who donated diapers, and others held class contests to see who could bring the most diapers.
In September 2014, the Aurora (Illinois) Beacon-News reported that students in Oswego Community Unit School District 308 participated in a food drive for the Kane County Food Pantry but also collected other items for distribution to needier families in the area.
“This is a wonderful way for students and the community to be able to combat hunger locally,” the paper quoted John Sparlin, assistant superintendent for administrative services in the district, as saying. “When we align our efforts together, we can hopefully generate more interest and have a stronger impact. If we all do a little bit to help, it adds up to a lot.”
“The Mission of Community Unit School District 308 Schools—a unique partnership of students, staff, families and community—is to ensure each student develops the capacity to thrive as a successful contributing citizen by providing exemplary educational experiences in a safe, caring and responsive learning environment,” wrote Brain Graves, director of communications and public relations at the unit school district.
And in August 2014, the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette reported that elementary students at Our Lady of Peace School wanted to forego birthday presents when they were in third grade so that items that would help young mothers, including baby wipes, bibs, baby lotion, and diapers, could be donated to families in need of assistance.
When the birthday invitations went out to family and classmates, they included an “in lieu of gifts” clause and a list of items representatives from a local service agency said would be beneficial to their clients.
“Last year, Morgan was touched when a friend donated her birthday gifts to the YMCA,” Morgan’s mother was quoted as saying. “She told us that’s what she wanted to do for her next birthday. … We have always tried to set a good example of generosity and instill kindness in the girls,” her mom said. “But we are just very overwhelmed by their generosity and hope it inspires others to give.”
