On Friday, January 31, Byron-Bergen Elementary School students pledged to fill 100 drawstring backpacks with toys and personal items for children being placed in foster care. They had two weeks to complete the project. On Friday, February 14, the 100th day of school, the Byron-Bergen Elementary School Student Council delivered 143 bags and several packing boxes filled with additional items to the Genesee County Court House in Batavia.
At the Court House, the students were met by Genesee County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Board Chair Barbara Hale. “It’s overwhelming,” said Hale. “It’s more than I could possibly have imagined.”
The spring community service project is an annual event at Byron-Bergen Elementary School, traditionally aligning with the 100th Day of School celebrations. In the past, they have raised money and collected items to benefit local non-profits, charity organizations, and, last year, the Genesee County Sheriff Department’s K-9 unit. This year’s project was introduced by Ashley Greene, Executive Director of CASA.
“A child going into the foster care system is not a planned event and so, quite often, children do not have the opportunity to pack their own belongings, and might show up in a foster home with just the clothes they were wearing that day,” said Greene. “This certainly can be frightening and confusing at the time for them. And what you’ll be providing them is a bit of comfort and sense of belonging.”
“I learned that there are a lot more kids that need help than I thought,” said Byron-Bergen Elementary School Student Council President Maryn Meier. “It’s pretty cool to be helping kids who are really in need.”
Hale accepted the busload of bags and boxes on behalf of CASA. “I just know that our children are going to be so happy to get something like this from the Byron-Bergen students.”
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