GREENFIELD — Federal Street School student Yeidhliam Acevedo and her family left Puerto Rico three years ago, after a hurricane struck the island. Now, the Greenfield resident and her classmates are doing their part to help Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of a Jan. 7 earthquake.
Karen Malley, the English Language Learning teacher at Federal Street School, is heading up a collection of donations of clothing, bedding and personal care items that will be shipped to the hardest hit areas by the Gandara Center in West Springfield, according to a press release from the school. The Gandara Center is gathering donations statewide.
The drive continues through Friday, and donations can be dropped off anytime during school hours. There are receptacles for donations at the student entrance and inside the library, according to the release.
Many of Malley’s students have ties to Puerto Rico, she said, and some of them sat around a table in her classroom on Tuesday making cards and writing letters to those impacted by the earthquake. Some of the letters will go directly to their relatives.
The group plans to walk to the Greenfield Post Office on Friday to mail some of the cards and letters. Others will be included with the donation packages.
During Tuesday’s card-making session, Erika Chala German showed off her card that read, “Hope you are safe, thinking of you,” in Spanish. Erika added that she misses her “abuela,” Spanish for “grandmother,” and the puppy she remembers.
Siblings Sophia Ramos-Rivera and Yahir Ramos-Rivera also said they miss their grandmother as they drew colorful cards, some with drawings of Federal Street School. They also relocated to the U.S. mainland after the deadly Category 5 Hurricane Maria ravaged the Caribbean in September 2017. Sophia added enthusiastically that their grandmother is the “best ever” as the two put finishing touches on the cards before returning to their studies.
Residents are encouraged to donate the following items:
■Toothpaste and toothbrushes
■Shampoo and conditioner
■Hand sanitizer
■Soap
■Feminine hygiene products
■Sunscreen
■Baby wipes
■Bedding (sheets, blankets, etc.)
■Flashlights and batteries
■First aid kits
■Antibiotic ointment
■Bandages
Reach Paul Franz at 413-772-0261, ext. 287 or pfranz@recorder.com.
A previous version of this story misidentified Yeidhliam Acevedo.
