Middle school collecting for Butterfly Cart program

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

By Michelle Workman

Nevada Daily Mail

Each year, students at Nevada Middle School come up with ideas for service projects and then vote on which one they will complete to help their community. This year, the students decided to broaden the reach of the service project and help Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City with their Butterfly Cart program.

Teacher Amy Hemphill said most projects assist those in need locally, but this semester her fifth hour class decided to participate in the program at Children's Mercy, which provides items to families who face the loss of a child.

When a family is preparing for such a loss, the hospital places a butterfly on the door to the patient's room. That family is then provided with items such as travel size toiletry items, single serve instant coffee, tissues, journals, gift cards or disposable cameras.

The students at NMS decided they would help gather those items from the community.

"We thought it was a high need," Hemphill said, pointing out that some of the students go to that hospital when needing care or know others who do. "They just really wanted to do something for Children's Mercy."

The middle school will accept donations during their drive Dec. 8 through 12, in the lobby of the school.

While accepting donations for families at the hospital, the students will also be competing between their grades to see who can collect the most. Donations will be counted by a point system, with larger items like large fleece blankets or disposable cameras counting for 10 points, smaller blankets or single serve instant coffee five points, while toiletries, tea bags or other smaller items are worth one point.

The winning grade will be rewarded with a free eighth hour.

Hemphill says their goal is to raise 300 points worth of items, with help from the community. One of the student's parents, who work at the hospital, will then drive the items to Children's Mercy to be distributed to families.

Victoria Perry, a sixth grade student who participated in choosing the project, said they chose to help the hospital with the goal of helping the families, giving them what she referred to as a Christmas present during a hard time.

"We are collecting items that they will need," Perry said. "It seemed like a really nice thing to do since Christmas is coming."

Members of the community interested in participating can drop off donations, including individually wrapped tea bags, toiletries, hot cider mix packets, Wal-Mart and Target gift cards or CD players, in the lobby of the middle school during the drive, placing them in the grade bin of their choosing.

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