Earlier this semester the Frenship Ninth Grade Center student council decided to host a jacket drive for a local non-profit. Foster*A*Life mission is to provide otherwise unavailable assistance, services, and opportunities to children who are or have been involved with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. 

Throughout the collection process for the drive, the student council members helped spread the word throughout the campuses and community; some even donated themselves. However, about halfway through the drive Assistant Principal Kelsey Taylor and student council advisor Berklee Basye realized that they could have a far greater impact if we enlisted the help of the entire Frenship community.  

At the end of October, Bayse invited other campuses to join their efforts and collect donation items at their campuses. Alcove Trails Middle School and Oak Ridge Elementary were eager to help. Both campuses and their student councils played a big role in the amount of donation items we were able to collect. 

These student councils exemplified two pieces of the Frenship Way SERVE Model throughout this donation, Engage and Volunteer. As a student organization, it is the student council’s responsibility to model this for their campus. Bayse stated that engaging with the community and volunteering not only helps others and therefore betters the community, but it heavily impacts the hearts of the students.  

“By providing opportunities to serve and do things for others at such a young age, we hope that this mindset carries over into their adult lives,” said Bayse. “My prayer is that the work we do at this point in their lives instills in the students a passion for giving back.” 

At the end of the jacket drive the Ninth Grade Center and Alcove Trails collected about 120 jackets/coats/hoodies and Oak Ridge collected two bags worth. When Dr. Shaun H. Keel, the founder of Foster*A*Life, came to collect the donations, she told the students how big of a blessing their involvement in this drive was, since a lot of their other drop-off locations were not as successful this year. 

“I think this is a great example of the heart and pride that the Frenship community and our students have for serving others,” said Bayse. “Our campus feels extremely grateful that we were able to be a part of helping such an amazing organization and providing these resources to kids who need them the most."