• Spirit of Giving in Gaston County Schools
     
    A look at what our schools are doing to help people in need this holiday season
  • Spirit of Giving Slideshow
  • Spirit of Giving Summary Report
     
    Thank you, Gaston County Schools, for showing us during this holiday season that it is more important to give than receive.

    During November and December, students, employees and parents helped families in need by sponsoring a variety of projects to collect food and other items and raise money.
     
    Our schools collected 29,827 food items for local pantries and crisis assistance agencies. Additionally, one school -- Bessemer City High School -- collected 10,126 pounds of food.

    Our schools donated $3,614 to charitable organizations, collected 715 pairs of socks, gloves and hats for people who are homeless, and packed 267 gift boxes for children as part of the Operation Christmas Child program.

    These figures reflect the 'Spirit of Giving' efforts at 27 schools. If your school is not included, please send your information to the Communications Department, and we will update the list.

    School-By-School Totals

    ■ 29,827 food items collected from the following schools:

    Ashbrook High: 4,750
    Belmont Central Elementary: 1,500
    Belmont Middle: 3,375
    Bessemer City Central: 514
    Carr Elementary: 903
    Stuart W. Cramer High: 274
    East Gaston High: 3,264
    W.C. Friday Middle: 1,573 
    Gardner Park Elementary: 2,465
    Hawks Nest Intermediate: 515
    Highland: 4,071
    Lingerfeldt Elementary: 2,000
    New Hope Elementary: 315
    Sadler Elementary: 1,146
    South Point High: 1,400
    Southwest Middle: 508
    Warlick: 100
    Woodhill Elementary: 1,154

    ■ 10,126 pounds of food collected by students and staff at Bessemer City High School

    ■ $3,614 contributed to various charities from the following school fundraising efforts:

    Belmont Central Elementary: $712.25 for families in need
    Belmont Middle: $304.29 for Holy Angels
    Chavis Middle: $840 to cover shipping costs for Operation Christmas Child gift boxes
    Highland: $527 for Relay for Life
    Highland SAVE and Interact clubs: $300 for families in need
    Highland Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club: $500 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
    Pinewood Elementary: $160 for the American Red Cross
    York Chester Middle: $271 to purchase paper products and hygiene supplies for Saint Michael's Church ministry

    ■ 267 gift boxes for the Operation Christmas Child program from the following schools:

    Chavis Middle: 120
    Highland: 100
    Southwest Middle: 47

    ■ 715 pairs of socks, gloves and hats for people in need

    Belmont Central Elementary: 100 pairs of socks for local homeless shelter
    Hawks Nest Intermediate: 525 pairs of socks and gloves for the homeless through the Hands N Feet Foundation
    Forestview High: 90 socks, gloves and hats for the Hands N Feet Foundation

    Other School Projects

    Holbrook Middle: Coats and Thanksgiving dinners provided for six families
     
    Kiser Elementary: Students visited residents at Stanley Total Living Center and spent time with residents making crafts, singing carols and creating holiday cards
     
    Mount Holly Middle: Students, staff and parents raked and cleaned yards for five elderly couples and students made 15 holiday centerpieces for the Brian Center of Gastonia
     
    Southwest Middle: 27 toys and books collected for local foster children
     
    Webb Street School: 75 handmade ornaments given to Habitat for Humanity 
  • School Notes
     
    Ashbrook High
    At the beginning of the semester, the Air Force JROTC set a goal to collect 3,500 canned food items for the Greater Gaston Baptist Association’s food bank. They delivered 3,000 items just in time for Thanksgiving, and by Christmas break surpassed their goal, collecting a total of 4,750 items. 

    East Gaston High
    The student council continued a long-running tradition when it collected 3,264 items for the Mount Holly Community Relief Organization and the Stanley United Methodist Church food pantry. Josh Allen, an English teacher and student council adviser, has helped lead the collection drive for the past eight years and said it has been a school tradition for more than 15 years.
     
    Hawks Nest Intermediate
    Students and staff collected 515 canned food items for the Salvation Army. 

    Highland School of Technology
    The cafeteria and custodial staff packed 14 gift boxes and the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club donated 86 boxes for the Operation Christmas Child program.

    Holbrook Middle
    A group of students made Thanksgiving brighter for families in the community. The sixth, seventh and eighth graders in Jon Robinson’s classes worked together to collect winter coats and raise money. They were able to purchase turkeys and ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner for six families.

    Lingerfeldt Elementary
    The student council held its annual canned food drive and collected 2,000 items for local food pantries. Student council officers McKynzie Mauney, president; Kayla Pressley, vice president; Tykel Smith, parliamentarian; Brody Ganey, secretary; Lacie Kimray, treasurer; Jyasia Foster, historian; and T’Aynia Williams, assistant secretary, organized the collection.

    South Point High
    The Interact Club collected 1,400 items for the Belmont Community Organization food pantry. Mary Ellen Lewis, Career and Technical Education teacher and Interact Club adviser, said the club first began this community service project 10 years ago and holds the food drive every year.
     
    Southwest Middle
    The Beta Club donated 27 new toys and books that will be matched by DiBella Chiropractic Center in Gastonia and given to a toy drive for foster children sponsored by The Least of These Gaston organization. The club also collected 508 canned goods for The Salvation Army.  Additionally, the student council organized a collection drive for Operation Christmas Child and packed 47 shoe boxes filled with donations from students, staff and parents.
     
    Woodhill Elementary
    The school collected 1,154 items for The Salvation Army during a school-wide service project coordinated by the student council.
     
  • We sincerely thank our students, employees, parents, volunteers and community partners for helping us to make the holiday season a little brighter for people in Gaston County.