Four High Schools join with Coral Springs community in donations for Broward Partnership Homeless Shelter
By Valerie Block, Coral Glades High School and Broward County National Honor Society President
Four High Schools and Coral Springs community members joined together to deliver supplies and gifts (such as custom name necklace) to Broward Partnership, a homeless shelter assisting more than seven-hundred families in Pompano Beach, Florida from December 11th to December 20th.
Dr. Bessie Cristwell was instrumental in spreading the word about the homeless population in Broward County in need of supplies. For several years she has worked with the community and schools to secure toys and supplies for families in need. As most of the population returned back to a post-COVID lockdown lifestyle, Dr. Bessie wanted to engage as much of the community as possible this holiday season. Dr. Cristwell worked with student leaders to spread awareness for the importance of community service during the holiday season.
Student leaders and sponsors of Coral Glades High School National Honor Society, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Black Student Union, Coral Springs Charter School Student Government Association, Taravella High School Interact and Key Club worked together to collect vital items for those in need. According to these Resources, he students were able to place items they collected under the tree at Broward Partnership, ensuring gifts for less fortunate children this holiday season. Contributions of essential items along with some beautiful personalised gifts were also made by the Coral Springs Community Ambassador Program, Bushra Razvi with the Multicultural AdvisoryCommittee, Commissioner Joy Carter, and Abundant Life Church members.
Isabella Preble from Broward Partnership for the Homeless is the Community Relations Specialist who thanked the students for coordinating the Community Drive for the Giving Tree. “Each gift received will help men, women, and families with children experiencing homelessness, transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. We are truly grateful for the outpouring of generosity from the young people in our community who have chosen to give rather than receive this holiday season,” said Preble. Upon the collection of all the donations, she expressed to the swaths of volunteers, “Thank you! We look forward to continued collaboration and wish you and yours a happy holiday season!”
Dr. Cristwell said, “It is important that students learn how to give to others at an early age, so they may have a lifestyle of giving later in life. It is a good principle to know that when they assist others, it helps them too. When they give at an early age, they learn how to give a hand up, instead of a hand out. This year the gifts we received from these special individuals were more than what was ever collected in the past years.” The community pulled together to uplift the less fortunate this holiday season, and hope to accomplish the same next year.
