Ways Students Can Help with Haiti Quake Relief Efforts

written by S.B. • January 22, 2010 2 Comments 

The student council of St. Leo the Great is coming up with ways to help the people of Haiti and the students of La Promesse, a three-story school with 700 students inside that collapsed in the 7.0 earthquake on January 13, 2010.

The quake that struck Haiti wiped out more than half of its population. Like St. Leo’s, La Promesse is a church school. The children that were lost in the rubble were estimated to be about 100. That is half of the student body at St. Leo the Great.

The student council brainstormed ideas and the first they came up with is planning many $5 “Jeans Days” where students don’t have to wear their uniform to school if they make a donation. The first one will be on Wednesday, January 27th.

They are sending home a letter to families explaining that, “The money will go to the American Red Cross organization and other organizations that will make sure people receive the monetary donations.”

You don’t have to wait for a school fundraiser or be an adult to help the Haitian people. There are many ways kids can make an impact too! By having a simple fundraiser of your own, like a lemonade stand, you can make a huge change in a Haitian child’s life. You can also donate things other than money, like clothes and shoes. Bring old clothes to an organization like the Red Cross or, you could donate shoes that you may not use much anymore. Though this may seem like something small, it can really impact a child’s life.

If you go to Soles4Souls.org, you’ll find that donating your old shoes will mean the world to a kid who has no shoes right now. This will protect their feet from any sharp objects that may be on the ground from the earthquake.

So please take initiative and help the children in Haiti who have been affected by this devastating earthquake.

by Simone B., 8th Grade
Managing Editor / THE LION LEDGER

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