Teacher, pupils collect supplies for kids in Haiti
JEFFERSON TWP — Students at HIS Kids Christian School are helping to make life brighter for Haitian children whose lives were impacted by a devastating earthquake in 2010.
Debbie Moyer of Jefferson Township, who has two children at the school and who teaches art there, will travel to the impoverished country in a week and will take supplies that the school’s 60 students and their families collected.
The students spent January collecting hundreds of school items, Beanie Babies, stuffed animals, toys and snacks for 300 students at a Haitian school.
The students also collected shoes, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Moyer was impressed by the amount of items the students and their families collected.
“I’m just wondering how we’re going to get it all packed,” Moyer said.
Moyer’s friend, Sandy Kalmar, has been traveling to Haiti annually since the earthquake with the Zion United Methodist Church in Cabot. This year more than 22 people will go.
Kalmar has asked Moyer to go for a few years, but this will be the first year that she does. Before this, she was not sure she would be able to handle seeing the damage caused by the earthquake.
“I wasn’t ready. This time, I prayed about it, and I just felt I was ready,” Moyer said.
Moyer will leave for Haiti on Feb. 15 and return Feb. 23. During her week there, she will give the items to the children and hold classroom sessions with them. The following week, volunteers with the group will set up an eye clinic for the children.
First grader Isabella Firster, who is Miss Pennsylvania USA Ambassador Little Miss and a USA National Junior Role Model, told Moyer that she would collect Rainbow Looms bracelets for the children.
She contacted friends from other states, including California, Delaware, Florida and New York, to get the bracelets.
“I always like giving to other people,” said Isabella, 7, of Oakland Township.
Melissa Firster, her mother, said that she collected about 520 bracelets. She praised the project.
“What Debbie is doing is really amazing,” she said.
Moyer was impressed by the number of bracelets Isabella collected.
“You’re going to make a lot of young people very happy,” Moyer told her.
Debora Dawson, the school’s principal, said that the general theme in the school this year is “respect,” and every month has a modified version of that. January’s theme was about respecting others who are less fortunate, and collecting the items fit in with that.
“The families have been so generous,” Dawson said.
