Reid School, Yogurt Shop Partnership Donates Blankets to BCF
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This winter, many local children will have some extra warmth thanks to a local partnership that brought in more than 200 blanket and stuffed animal donations for Berkshire Center for Family and Children.
The Reid Middle School Student Council and Ayelada Yogurt of East Street worked together to support BCF's participation in the national program Project Night Night.
Thursday afternoon, those involved in the effort gathered at the yogurt shop to present the items to BCF representatives and celebrate with some frozen treats.
"It's a great way to start the holiday season," said Erin Sullivan, director of external affairs for BCF. "It's overwhelming. It's an incredible community response."
BCF, a social service agency, will distribute bags containing the donated items to organizations including Elizabeth Freeman Center, Key Program Inc., and state Department of Children and Families. They will go to children who must leave their homes quickly.
Donated items were collected in boxes at both the school and Ayelada Yogurt for about three weeks.
Student Council Vice President Angela Guachione, 13, explained that Student Council members got the idea to collect for Project Night Night when they saw a donation box at Ayelada Yogurt, which many students frequent. Members approached the store owners and asked to partner with them.
"Kids come here, families come here. We want to make it a great place to hang out, and to be a part of the community," said Jim Cervone who owns the store with his wife, Lisa. The pair supports community projects every month, varying from fundraising for cancer patients to youth sports.
English teacher Debra Guachione believes that the students learned a lot by partnering with a community-minded store.
"They can see that businesses aren't just a place where they can buy things, but are also places that can support them," she said.
In addition to Project Night Night, the Student Council has recently worked on breast cancer awareness and helped pass out meals at the Thanksgiving Angels Project.
Principal Linda Whitacre hopes that the school and Student Council are promoting citizenship and community.
"We want the students to realize that it's not just the academics that makes a good person," she said.
Student Council President Wyatt George, 14, certainly seems to understand that message.
He explained that while working on the project, he and his peers have become thankful for what they have, and how they can help.
"The donations will mean a lot to [the children], a stuffed animal is something to love. They are going through a tough time and need someone to love them."
For more information on BCF and how to get involved with this and other projects, visit berkshirechildren.org.
Tags: BCF, charity, collections, Reid Middle School,
