By George Slaughter
Katy-area junior high school students raised money to feed the homeless. (Katy ISD photo)
Students from five Katy Independent School District junior high schools raised over $5,000 to feed the homeless.
The National Junior Honor Society chapters at Beck, Katy, McMeans, Seven Lakes, and Stockdick junior high schools collected gift cards and presented them to Hope Impacts, a local nonprofit organization. Hope Impact’s mission is to provide hope and dignity to those facing homelessness. Total value was $5,262.
John Erskine, the society’s sponsor at McMeans, said this was the first year to take on this kind of a service project.
“I’m extremely proud of what our students were able to accomplish,” Erskine said. “We plan on doing it again, and when we do, it will be bigger and better each time. The goal of this, and similar initiatives, is to foster the idea of taking a proactive approach to issues, such as hunger, in our community as opposed to ignoring them.”
In a news release, the district said the society follows five pillars: character, citizenship, leadership, scholarship, and service.
Other sponsors included Carli Smith from Beck Junior High, Lawrence Hemes from Katy Junior High, Sarah Worthen from McMeans Junior High, Jedidiah Boggs from Seven Lakes Junior High, and Marcella Phillips from Stockdick Junior High.