In the wake of hurricane Katrina, Islesboro students in Pat Crawford’s Kindergarten and first grade class, aided by school board member Julie Reidy, started a campaign to collect donations for the victims. Over several months Islesboro residents contributed a wide variety of items — everything from clothes and food to books and games — to the relief effort.
Transporting the donations to New Orleans proved to be impossible, so the class decided to donate the gathered goods to the Waldo County Head Start program. Jane Adams, director of the program, was thrilled that the students chose to give to the program, because donations to this local agency had dropped due to the emphasis on the Katrina victims’ needs.
Adams, along with parents and students from the Head Start program, brought a van and small bus over to the island, where the donations were transferred from the Islesboro storage area to the waiting vehicles. Head Start volunteers will sort and distribute items to families in need who are connected to the program, such as a family that recently lost its home and belongings to a fire — or give items to the appropriate local charitable agencies.
While the items didn’t make it to New Orleans, they did go to help people in catastrophic situations at the local level. Islesboro students wish to thank everyone for their donations.