JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Students at one Duval elementary school spent this morning getting ready to send toys, school supplies, and other useful items they collected for children in Jamaica. <\/p>\n
The relief comes a little less than a month after Hurricane Melissa swept across the island, causing widespread damage. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause a lot of them have lost their homes and their toys, and it\u2019s really hard, and sending these can actually give them hope, and they can make them feel much better,\u201d student Emily Babcock said. <\/p>\n
Alimacani Elementary School launched a schoolwide service project to support children in Jamaica as soon as they heard that many people there lost everything after Hurricane Melissa. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd notecards because they lost their school, they don\u2019t have anything anymore, \u201c Presley Moyeno-York said. <\/p>\n
Students, parents, and staff at the Intracoastal West Elementary School spent weeks gathering toys, school supplies, and essential items. They ended up filling 30 boxes for children attending Unity Primary School in Westmoreland, Jamaica. <\/p>\n
Students like Moyeno-york are writing letters of support for those kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote, just know we are thinking about you, and it\u2019s really sad that you don\u2019t have your home or your school, so something to help you out,\u201d Moyeno-York said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWish them hope that these toys and things bring them smiles that they take out things because it\u2019s what they love to play with, and they want them to be able to play with it too,\u201d Alimacani Elementary School Principal Robyn White said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is overwhelming. It is really a blessing just to see the amount of items that was given,\u201d teacher Racquel Traill said. <\/p>\n
That helps hit close to home for Traill, who is originally from Jamaica. Her onetime home is near the Unity Primary School, where the items are going. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe kindness that\u2019s going through the people that are in need right now, especially our children, the young generation,\u201d Traill said. <\/p>\n
Traill still has family members in Jamaica who were directly impacted by the storm. They are helping coordinate the collection drive and delivery of the donated items. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is bad they still don\u2019t have electricity. There are some places that don\u2019t have water,\u201d Traill said. <\/p>\n
Organizers at Alimacani Elementary say they need to go buy an extra barrel for everything that was donated. Then they will ship the donations to Jamaica, which will get there in about 6 weeks. <\/p>\n
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