Students Learn Leadership Skills While Collecting Winter Weather Gear

Students in several area school districts are collecting winter clothing and blankets as part of a community service project.

The drives are almost 100 percent student run, “Which allows the opportunity to not only be part of a large community service project, but to be able to enhance their team building, marketing, advertising, public speaking and project management skills,” said coordinator Tim Gaynor.

This is the sixth year for the drive, which is being expanded from the Waukee and West Des Moines school districts to include Urbandale, Johnston and Des Moines Christian.

Among the items needed are gently used and/or new coats, jackets, hats, gloves, blankets, snow boots and snow pants.

The items collected are then provided to a handful of non-profit agencies that work with those in need of winter items. However the main benefactors of the items collected are other students in schools around the Des Moines region whose demographics are made up children who qualify for 100 percent or near 100 percent free or reduced lunch.

In 2012, nearly 2,500 items were collected from 20 schools in the Waukee and West Des Moines School Districts. All 10 schools in the Waukee Community School District have participated the last two years and all are on board again in 2013.

These items were provided to five non-profit agencies (Freedom for Youth, Hawthorn Hill, Ruth Harbor, YESS and Valley Southview Church) and 15 schools in and around Des Moines.

This year, the drive runs from Monday, Oct. 28, through Thursday, Nov. 7.  

The participating schools are:

Waukee: Brookview, Eason, Maple Grove, North Middle School, South Middle School, Prairieview, Shuler, Vince Meyer Learning Center, Walnut Hills, Waukee Elementary, Woodland Hills and Waukee High School.

West Des Moines: Fair Meadows, Indian Hills, Jordan Creek, Valley Southwoods, Westridge and Valley High School.

Johnston: Johnston Middle School.

Urbandale: Webster Elementary.

Des Moines Christian.