Lesson In Compassion


Canfield students help Rotary in Haiti relief effort

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SHOW AND TELL: Fourth-grade teacher MeLynda Guerrieri holds a sleeping bag and speaks to her students at C.H. Campbell Elementary in Canfield as they lie inside a tent such as the ones that are being shipped to Haiti in shelter boxes. Students from C.H. Campbell and Hilltop Elementary raised more than $8,500 and donated it to Canfield Rotary to assemble the disaster-relief kits for people in Haiti.

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INQUIRY: C.H. Campbell Principal Kent Polen allows student Jack Villano to ask Jack Young, of Rotary International’s Shelter Box board of directors, a question during a Wednesday assembly at the Canfield school.

By ELISE FRANCO

Vindicator staff writer

CANFIELD — Elementary students raised enough money to give nearly 100 people a place to sleep.

During a five-day collection drive, students from C.H. Campbell and Hilltop elementary schools raised more than $8,500 that will go toward shelter boxes for people affected by the earthquake in Haiti, said C.H. Campbell Principal Kent Polen.

“I think this was a need [the kids] could relate to,” he said. “They saw it on TV every night, and they discussed it in the classroom.”

The money was presented to Canfield Rotary on Wednesday during an assembly where students were able to see exactly what goes into the shelter-box kits.

Shelter boxes, developed in 2000 by British Rotarian Tom Henderson, are disaster-relief kits that supply families with shelter and ancillary tools for up to six months, according to shelterbox.org.

Jack Young, of Rotary International’s Shelter Box board of directors, said each box costs $1,000 and contains items such as a tent that sleeps up to 10 people, cooking tools, sleeping bags, water- purifying tablets, a small propane stove, crayons, a shovel, rope, ponchos and an ax.

Young said the money raised by the elementary students is enough for 81‚Ñ2 boxes. He said, to date, more than 10,000 shelter boxes from all over the world have been shipped to Haiti.

“This warms my heart to see kids involved,” he said. “I don’t think they fully understand the concept, but seeing the tent and supplies will help them realize exactly how they’re helping.”

Polen said the initial goal was about $1,500 per building, and he was floored when they surpassed that goal on the first day of the drive. He said the two schools combined house about 1,100 students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

“I’m extremely proud of them to take up a cause that’s not close to them geographically,” he said. “It makes me feel like we’re teaching more than academics in the schools. We’re teaching compassion.”

Polen said many parents donated money in addition to the children, but MeLynda Guerrieri, fourth-grade science teacher, said she was shocked at the students’ willingness to donate their own money.

“They were bringing in their own money from their chores or allowance or birthday money,” Guerrieri said. “It’s shocking how selfless they can be.”

Superintendent Dante Zambrini said the high school and middle school students and Canfield Rotary members also raised money for the boxes.

Zambrini said the rotary raised an additional $6,000, the middle school raised about $7,300 and the high school students are still collecting money.

“It has been overwhelming to see what a miraculous job they did together,” Zambrini said. “It’s very gratifying because through Rotary, we know the money is going to an international group. We won’t have to worry about if it will get there.”

Zambrini, also a Rotarian, said the middle school and high school students will present their shelter-box money at an upcoming Rotary meeting.

“We took care of many, many people, and we’re so proud,” he said.

efranco@vindy.com

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