By Vita Duva, Correspondent
Last week, the Cranbury School, in collaboration with its respective Parent-Teacher Organization hosted its Charity Toiletry Drive.
After Cranbury School students and their families were prompted to collect toiletries during their summer travels thanks to the PTO, the successful drive collected 294 pounds of toiletry donations for two local state charities, the Covenant House of New Jersey and Womanspace.
“My passion is to bring awareness and support for those that are very desperate in society,” Cranbury School PTO Co-President, Sasha Weinstein explained of the inspiration behind the drive. “It’s easier to look away because the reality is so grave and vast, but when you tackle this together as a community, it makes it easier to help.
“That’s what I want our students to take away from this experience and still have fun. Our school administration is very special in that it allows the PTO to bring this awareness to the students. I am very grateful for its support throughout this whole process,” she said.
During school hours from Oct. 26 through Oct. 28, students collected items for donation and assembled individualized toiletry bags, while PTO Volunteers managed the workflow and dropped off the assembled toiletry bags to their respective locations.
“The Charity Toiletry Drive is a great opportunity for the students here at The Cranbury School to contribute and help the unfortunate people around us,” said Will Novak, Cranbury School Student Council president and eighth grader. “Each of us take so much for granted and it is important that we help the lives of others who need it.”
During Buddy Class, students were also given the opportunity to take part in the drive when they were asked to prepare personal notes of encouragement, which were attached to each of the toiletry bags that were assembled.
The Cranbury School’s Buddy Class is when students in the older grades are paired up with students in the younger grades. Each pairing shares a special set of activities planned throughout the course of the school year.
“I think the [Charity Toiletry Drive] is really kind and generous, and it will help people be clean and feel good,” said third-grader Carter Scott.
According to Ms. Weinstein, many patrons of the Covenant House of New Jersey and Womanspace have barely received any positive encouragement of their own throughout the course of their lives.
“Words are so powerful,” she said. “Perhaps one of [the students’] notes will touch someone, and [help them] to not give up on life and to hope for a better future.”
For more information on these two local state charities chosen by The Cranbury School, visit https://nj.covenanthouse.org and www.womanspace.org.
