MERCEDES — Students are rounding up clothes, toiletries, gift cards and school supplies to make sure students and families get help right away in a time in need.
Last year, the Olivera family with students in the district lived on the streets for nine months before they received help.
Now the Mercedes High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and Harold Middle School student council will hold a community donation supplies drive for the Ray of Hope Closet so students can get what they need.
This closet will be at both campuses. It will be stocked with basic necessary items for students within the school district who are in need of clothes, school supplies, and home goods and toiletries as they face tough times.
Mayor Henry Hinojosa applauded the student group for efforts to help the community.
Three high school students and their group adviser introduced their campaign for the community to the city council recently and asked them for help collecting supplies as well as getting the word out about their event.
“You never know which students are going to step it up, and obviously these students have stepped it up,” said Armando Lopez, Mercedes councilman.
Students who are faced with homelessness, loss of a job by a family member or any other extreme cause of need will have private access to the supplies in the Ray of Hope closets.
The supplies drive will be held on March 4 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Mercedes High School Tiger Cafeteria. Items can be dropped off curbside on Tiger lane.
“Being a part of this group we focus a lot on our family and school,” said Clarissa Trevino, FLCCA student leader. “They may not have the items on a daily basis like things that we use every day.”
Trevino said the group decided to take on this, project to impact student’s lives positively.
This is the first project that FCCLA has students have organized this year.
“You come to school to learn and you come to school with all this baggage sometimes,” said Adriana Gonzalez, FLCCA advisor. “We don’t know what is going on at home.”
She said suddenly we find out a student’s home environment is not so good.
“We want to make school enjoyable, and lessen the stress of students who don’t have the proper supplies at school,” Gonzalez said.
She said this effort started from having friends who were homeless living in a park last year.
“We are having this community drive to involve the community and to help our community,” Trevino said.
WHAT: Student supplies drive for Rey of Hope Closet to gather goods for children in need.
WHEN: March 4, 8 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Mercedes High School Tiger Cafeteria, 1200 Florida Avenue, or curb side on Tiger Lane.
