Assistance League of Greater Wilmington helped over 1,500 local children to get their own books due to the generosity of a young child in Chatttanooga, Tennessee. Destineee Haris (center front), 5, and The Bright School in Tennessee collected this pallet of over 1,500 books to be sent to Assistance League of Greater Wilmington for hurricane relief. Sitting left to right: Soleigh Kueter, Destinee Harris and Petra Lund. Standing left to right: Debbie Harris, Matilda Joels, Stern Rushing, Grant Gallien, Mr. Donald the driver, Ben Dillard and Head of School O.J. Morgan
Tennessee schoolchildren held a book drive to benefit Hurricane Florence victims.
Assistance League of Greater Wilmington has been contacted by two groups of children who are concerned about the children in our area after Hurricane Florence. One group is sending us gently used children’s books to replace those that may have been damaged or destroyed. The other group sent hand-made cards to lift the spirits of those who have lost everything.
Destinee’s Gift is an organization in Chattanooga, Tennessee, started by a 5-year-old. Their mission is to collect donations of gently used books and re-donate them across the country to children who have been affected by natural disasters.
After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Destinee Harris asked her mother, “Momma, what are the children going to do without books? Will they have to hang them outside to dry them out? How will they get to the library to read with all that water? After school we need to go through my bookcase and pick out books, box them up, and get them right out to Houston!”
And this is the way Destinee’s Gift was started. Destinee’s school, The Bright School, held the book drive and the books collected were sent to 10 schools in the Houston area.
“During these devastating times people impacted by these disasters need basic needs, shelter, food, water. Books are not at the top of the list,” Destinee’s mother said. “But if Destinee’s Gift could make children experiencing this devastation a little more normal by putting books in their hands, how amazing would that be.”
This year Destinee’s mother contacted Assistance League of Greater Wilmington. The book drive at Destinee’s school collected over 1,500 books, packed them up and sent a palette of books to the Assistance League Thrift Shop in Wilmington. Our volunteers divided the books and distributed them to our 31 Operation School Bell schools.
In another show of support, a teacher, Allison King, at Sullivan’s Island Elementary School in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, asked her fourth-grade students to write letters to the children who might need a little comfort from the hurricane devastation. The school sent Assistance League a packet of these heartwarming letters for us to distribute to some of our children.
One said, “HOPE! I hope soon you will be able to go back home. I’m so sorry that the hurricane hit you. I hope you will get back to your home safely and everything will be back to normal. My thoughts are with you.”
Another said, “Remember we’re sending you Love, Hope Positivity.”
Assistance League of Greater Wilmington is working with school counselors to determine what the children in our area really need. Many families have lost everything. Our philanthropic program Operation School Bell usually gives backpacks, clothes, hygiene kits, underwear and books to elementary school children. This year there will be many more items that we will add to our list for these children.
For more information on Assistance League of Greater Wilmington, please go to ALGW.AssistanceLeague.org.
Joanne Cavan is marketing communications chair of the Assistance League of Greater Wilmington.
Source: https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20181204/children-helping-children-via-assistance-league
