Students and Staff at Career Center Collect Gifts and Blankets for Students Who Are Homeless

This year, students and staff at the Career Center bought gifts for 30 students who are homeless, and, this morning, Melissa Ledbetter, who is the school system’s homeless liaison, went to the Career Center to pick them up. She also picked up 60 blankets that Career Center teacher Kelly Cavanaugh had collected for the homeless students.

The gift project was organized by the Career Center chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). “It’s their project for giving back,” said Sherry Billings, a Culinary Arts and Hospitality instructor at the Career Center who serves as the club’s adviser. “The students in FCCLA wanted to do something for Christmas.”

After contacting Ledbetter to get information about some of the homeless students, they put up an Angel Tree in the school’s commons area with such descriptions as “female, age 14, grade 9” and “male, age 15, grade 9.” The students who are homeless were invited to list one or more clothing items that they needed. They could also list one item on their “wish list” such as a pocketbook or a football.

It didn’t take long for Career Center students and staff members to take responsibility for all 30 students, Billings said.

Chloe Blalock

Chloe Blalock, who is the president of the FCCLA chapter, took responsibility for a 9-year-old girl who is in the third grade. “She only wanted a medium shirt,” Blalock said. “It got me thinking about what I was asking for Christmas and how blessed I really am.”

Blalock bought her two shirts.

The student Billings picked is 15. She asked for a jacket. Billings said that, with the help of her 15-year-old daughter, she picked out two jackets and a pair of earrings. When Billings’ 2½ daughter found out that the present was for someone who didn’t have a home, she wanted to help wrap it.

Sherry Billings

Before the Career Center students loaded everything into the van that Ledbetter brought, Ledbetter spoke to them for a moment. At present, she said, the school system’s Project HOPE is serving 159 children who are homeless. Although many of them cannot expect anything for Christmas, because of the generosity of the people at the Career Center, these students would be receiving presents.  

Melissa Ledbetter

“Thank you so much,” Ledbetter said.

Asked separately how they felt about participating in the project, Cassius Taylor, whose home school is Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, and Rayna Welch, whose home school is Reynolds High School, both said the same thing: “It feels good.”

One of the fringe benefits of the project, Billings said, is that people at the Career Center who were unfamiliar with the Project HOPE are now aware of it.

Ledbetter also expressed appreciation for the blankets. “At this time of year, we desperately need blankets,” she said.

Cavanaugh, who teaches advanced-placement Environmental Science, has been collecting and donating food for a number of years.

“Last year, my older two children made paper snowflakes to raise money to buy food for the food bank,” Cavanaugh said. “During the time they were working on these, we had been talking about who the food goes to, and what their living conditions might be like...along with why we should be so thankful for what we have.

“One night, I woke up at about 3 a.m. and grabbed for an extra blanket.  I couldn't sleep thinking about those same people, and how cold they must be.  So the next morning, via Facebook mostly, I started collecting blankets.  I offered to shop if people wanted to donate money. They could leave them on my porch. I drove locally to pick them up. I had 100 blankets in just over a month, plus bags of food, coats, scarfs, etc. More than I ever expected!  

“So I set out again this year about the time I turned the heat on...  The 60 or so blankets I brought Sherry yesterday is the first installment I have collected so far this year. Fingers crossed they will keep rolling in! I'm so thankful this year they are going to students that need them!”