In the Ridgeland High School Honors Academy's largest holiday drive to date, students donated 80 bottles of bleach to the Walker County Animal Shelter, 12,000 Band-Aids to Saddle Ridge Elementary, and 64,290 canned goods for families in crisis across Walker County.
Senior Brittney Bateman organized some of the logistics of the drive, making sure that shipments got where they needed to be on time and financial donations were spent properly. Money was collected in the mornings and, using Brittney's list, students would then pick up supplies requested by the organizations served. One day, she said she collected $150 and bought bottles of window cleaner and dryer sheets at Dollar Tree and Walmart.
Brittney has been involved with the drive since she was a freshman. She's watched the effort grow from a simple canned food drive to helping different organizations in the area with various items they might need.
This year, the students focused on donating to three main groups: the Walker County Animal Shelter, the Family Crisis Center of North Georgia, and local elementary schools. The requested items ranged from dryer sheets to dog toys to canned spaghetti.
"We don't realize how much other people need things until we started opening up [who we donate toward]," Brittney said.
She is president of her school's Key Club chapter and part of the National Honor Society, which did its own toy drive this year. Brittney said community service is near and dear to her heart, and this was a good way to reach a large group of people.
"The great thing about the holiday drive at Ridgeland is that it's not just food, it's also helping out the animal shelter and elementary schools," she said. "We were covering a lot more things than just food."
Social studies teacher Ryan Bandy is the chair of the Honors Academy, which is celebrating its 10th year. The evolution and expansion of the drive is in part because the teachers have seen how dedicated the students are to giving back, he said.
"The teachers here, we like to find ways for the students to give back," said Bandy.
The drive started just before Thanksgiving and ended before winter break in mid-December. Academy members had a goal to collect 60,000 cans, which was smashed before the drive ended, he said.
This year, there were students who turned more than $100 worth of Chick-fil-A coupons into cash by selling them, and another student brought in a baggie containing $40 in change.
About 70% of the school's students are on free or reduced lunch, said Bandy, so seeing their desire to help in whatever way they can is inspiring.
"The kids always meet and exceed the goals," he said.
Email Sabrina Bodon at sbodon@timesfreepress.com.