Tolt Middle School Students Make A Difference… Globally
By: Leanne Christensen, RSD
With the passing of the snow days, rain and road closures, Tolt students are back in school and eager to put the finishing touches on the over 200 care packages they have made for the Puerta Abierta Foundation. Students from Tolt’s National Junior Honor Society, Mrs. McDaniel’s, Mr. Haley’s, Mrs. Barth’s, and Mrs. Switaj’s classes have all been working diligently since early December gathering supplies for students half a world away.
Tolt students and teacher Mark Klune first made contact with Puerta Abierta Foundation (PAFF) in Costa Rica, when the Atwater family approached Mr. Klune last year about the prospect of making care kits for the children of this foundation. Mr. Klune, also the advisor for the National Junior Honor Society at Tolt, had been searching for a project which would engage all Tolt N.H.S. members and help to show them how they each could make a difference globally. The PAFF project did just that, and more…
Evan Atwater, 7th grade member, said, "My brother connected PAFF with Mr. Klune's NJHS last year when he was a member, and they made 100 care packages. This year we continued the project and have made 225 care packages."
Allison Bawden, President of TMS NJHS said, "We plan to make this an ongoing tradition for Honor Society for years to come, because these villages in Costa Rica don't have access to simple toiletries. By sending care packages, we are making a direct effort to help them."
Clayton Lacher, 8th grade member, contacted Duvall Dental Center, and "asked if they could donate toothbrushes and toothpaste. I got a box-full of dental supplies and I thought it was pretty cool because those were the most expensive items in the kits."
Darby Day, 7th grade member, helped make a presentation in front of the ministry team of a Snoqualmie Church and got them to donate $100, "which we spent on washcloths and zip-lock bags."
Items included in the care packages:
Shampoo
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Soap
Deodorant
Washcloths
Bandaids
and Positive notes written in Spanish.
Tolt students who participated in this generous humanitarian effort and their teachers who provided support and guidance, should be commended for their time, compassion and dedication. Making a difference globally is certainly something to be proud of.