EMMA PAUL
ANDREA CASS
SOUTHWICK – Students at Powder Mill Middle School are continuing their experience with Project 351 with the Spring Greening clothing drive.
Emma Paul, of Tolland, and Andrea Cass, of Southwick, participated in the Project 351 Day of Service in Boston this past January and said spending time doing something for others really hit home for them. The girls organized the clothing drive as a way to bring that experience to their classmates.
‘”They talked to us a lot about paying it forward,” said Cass, who spent her day of service creating food backpacks for children at the food bank.
“For a lot of kids, school lunch is the only real meal they have, and on the weekends they don’t have enough food,” said Cass.
The backpacks are packed with nutritious and filling foods the students can take home with them on the weekend, ensuring they have something healthy to eat until they go to school again on Monday.
Paul spent her day of service at a shelter, making scarves and blankets out of fleece for shelter residents. She said the experience really made her appreciate what she has.
“I told my friends about what I did and they wanted to help too,” she said.
Powder Mill teacher Susan Pac also participated in the event, spending her day baking pies with teenage boys.
“That was an experience,” she said.
Although Pac joked about the boys’ lack of baking skills, she said she was very proud of Cass and Paul for their service, and continuation of what they learned.
The Spring Greening drive takes place April 1-5 at the school. Bins will be placed outside the office and students – and the public – are encouraged to bring in their used clothing and shoes of all sizes.
“We’re looking for everything from infant clothes to adult clothes, shoes and coats,” said Paul.
Items may be dropped off at the school during regular hours Monday through Friday. The items will be distributed to families in need through a regional organization.
Project 351 is a community service initiative for grade eight students statewide, with one student from each of the 351 towns and cities in Massachusetts participating.
