Schools Lend a Helping Hand

As the holiday season draws near, many Williamson County students are learning how to lend a helping hand.  Whether they're collecting canned goods or volunteering their time, hundreds of local students are staying busy through their involvement in school-sponsored service projects.

Below is a list of some of the schools participating in service projects this fall.  This list is not all-inclusive.  Please check with your school for additional information or to see if there are plans to have any service projects in the near future.

Brentwood Middle:  The Brentwood Middle School Student Government Association sponsored a food drive November 15-19.  The food that was collected will benefit families in need within Williamson County.

Centennial High:  CHS students and teachers put together 19 Thanksgiving Baskets for United Way’s “Full Tummies, Warm Hearts” program, which provides food baskets for needy families in the Williamson County area.

Edmondson Elementary:  Edmondson held a canned food drive November 15-19 which benefited Graceworks Food Pantry.  The food pantry provides emergency food and needed nutrition to the hungry in Williamson County.  Boxes were set up outside each classroom to collect items like canned meats and vegetables, dry milk, dried potatoes, and rice.

Fairview Middle:  The Fairview Middle School’s FCA is hosting Operation Christmas Child (OCC) this year.  OCC is an organization developed by Samaritan’s Purse. The focus of OCC is to send shoe boxes full of school supplies, personal care products and toys to third world children.  The FCA began accepting boxes November 15.

Grassland Middle:  From now until Winter Break, the library will be accepting donations of canned goods to pay library fines.  Any student who receives a fine notice can bring in a canned good to have his/her fine waived.   The canned goods will be donated to the Graceworks Food Pantry to help assist needy families during the holidays.

Heritage Middle:  Heritage Middle students learned about reaching out to serve others through G.I. in the month of November.  Each grade level or team generated a service project of choice.  Eighth graders worked to beautify the HMS campus, seventh graders held a canned food drive for the Tennessee Children's Home and sixth graders collected toys and assembled military care packages.

Independence High:  Skills USA at Independence High School began its annual toy drive November 29.  The club is collecting new and gently used toys to be donated to those in need for this holiday season.  Winning classes will be given prizes for their efforts.

Kenrose Elementary:  Students at Kenrose Elementary collected shoes during the school’s Recycle Drive in November to donate to Glenview Elementary School in Nashville.

Longview Elementary:  The Student Council is holding its inaugural Canned Food Drive December 6 through December 10.  The school is asking students to bring non-perishable food items to their homeroom teacher.  All items will be donated to The Well in Spring Hill.  

Oak View Elementary:  The Student Leadership Council, made up of fourth and fifth graders, is sponsoring Coats and Cans for the Cold.  Part of this drive is a collection of gently used coats for the homeless.  Oak View also collected canned food for Gracework’s food pantry so that those in our community who are hungry can have food to eat.

Pearre Creek Elementary:  Pearre Creek will accept unwrapped toys in exchange for admission to the school’s December 9 choral concert called Winter Classics.  The toys will be donated to patients at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Ravenwood High:  Ravenwood Kickball is collecting new or gently used Holiday ornaments, wreaths, lights, trees, etc. for “Noah’s Christmas,” an operation run by Graceworks Ministries to collect Holiday Décor for middle Tennessee residents impacted by the May 2010 flood.  Anyone who would like to donate should bring their items to Mrs. Akin’s room or place them in the box underneath the big clock in the commons area.

Scales Elementary:  The Food Drive for Graceworks in Franklin began November 1.  The food collection will go to families in Williamson County.

Sunset Middle:  Sunset Middle School collected canned goods November 15-18 for Feed America First.  In conjunction with this drive, the library offered amnesty for overdue fines on books for canned goods.

Woodland Middle:  The Student Council spearheaded a food drive to assist the Feed America First program. Students were asked to bring non-perishable food items to homeroom through November 19.