Tomorrow is the deadline for a group of Yucca Valley High School students helping people in need. Reporter David Haldane has the details…
If you were homeless, would you need toothpaste? How about deodorant, shampoo, razors and band aids? What about pre-stamped envelopes for letters to loved ones and words of encouragement directly to you?
Forty-five ninth graders at Yucca Valley High School are betting on yes. They’re in Merl Abel’s Advancement Via Individual Determination class, a course for students with high potential but little support. And for the past several weeks, they’ve been stuffing shoeboxes and backpacks with, well, lots of stuff.
Shoeboxes for the Homeless was born four years ago as a service project to enhance college resumes. But more than that, Abel says, it teaches the power of volunteerism and the joy of helping.
It also does wonders for the area’s homeless, says Elizabeth Kirkland, chair of Morongo Basin Haven, which distributes the gifts. Tomorrow’s a big day; this year’s batch of highly decorated shoeboxes is due to be done. Then comes the real fun; final term papers on what it all means.
