“The connections they made with the refugees in the book couldn’t have been better,” Oakwood English teacher Kim Gilbert said. “All of the refugees in the book had the goal of escaping their home, which took a great deal of courage and strength. When we would talk about what is going on in Ukraine the passion and empathy my students showed was simply priceless.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
It wasn’t long before #RallyForRefugees was underway, and the junior high students had a full slate of fundraising activities planned. From selling cupcakes, pretzels, ice cream and popcorn at lunch to hosting a lunchtime dance – attended by more than 100 students – the events raised more than $3,400 which will be donated to UNICEF, an organization working to ensure Ukraine’s children have access to safe water, nutrition, health care, education and protection.
“Once we started fundraising, they wanted to keep going and make more money to help more kids because as they said, ‘more kids are in danger every day,’” Gilbert said.
Gilbert wasn’t the only one who was impressed by her students’ efforts.
“I’m impressed by our students every day, but the initiative to develop a fundraiser to benefit people they will never meet, who live so far from home, speaks volumes about our students’ character and compassion,” Oakwood Junior High principal Tim Badenhop said. “Their excitement to help was contagious. I’m so proud of Mrs. Gilbert and her students for moving beyond awareness into meaningful support for people in need.”
How did the young organizers feel about their efforts? Some Oakwood Junior High students share their thoughts about their #RallyForRefugees.
“It is heartbreaking to know that as we live our daily lives, there is someone out there fighting for their own, and I want to help in any way possible. I can’t imagine being in that position, so I send my best wishes to the struggling families. I will continue to help where I can,” Mildred Dean, seventh grade.
“The impact we are trying to make is making students, teachers, and even parents aware of the Ukrainian refugees. They need everyone’s help. They have no home. Some have lost everything, so it is up to us to help,” Sasha Fulton, seventh grade.
“#RallyForRefugees opened my eyes to what is going on in the world. I like the fundraiser because it is something we as teenagers can do to help. This is something that I know is a big problem. We need to see them. They are people. The only difference between them and us is that they were put in unexpected circumstances. You never really know, that could have been us,” Coleman Ott, seventh grade.
“It’s been eye opening to see the whole thing, trying to understand everything that has been going on all over and being able to actually help with some of that. It feels great,” Oliver Roederer, seventh grade.
“#RallyForRefugees has really made me have so much sympathy for the families that are trying to flee Ukraine. I can’t even believe it and don’t know what I would do if my family was going through something like this. It really has made me want to help,” Emma Giancola, eighth grade.
“#RallyForRefugees fundraiser has been a great experience seeing how we can make a difference even if it is only for one person or family. The events in Ukraine are awful, and I hope to help with this fundraiser,” Mathew Murphy, eighth grade.
“#RallyForRefugees has given me a lot of awareness about what is happening in different parts of the world. Not only is the money being donated to help the refugees, but it is also giving some of them a bit of hope. Being able to donate was a really special experience, and it felt really good to be able to help,” Scarlett Tartar, eighth grade.
“#RallyForRefugees has made me extremely grateful for what we have here and how I still have the most essential things for living and more. However, it has made me very sad that Ukraine’s kids don’t have the essentials they need which is why our fundraiser is so important,” Madeline Wilt, eighth grade.
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