Making a Difference: ELD students

Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students gave back to those in need of shelter and food by putting together kits for The Giving Tree, an organization that connects students to service learning projects.

The students, who have been studying the idea of service learning, are part of Rebecca Hepler’s English Language Development class. Ms. Hepler began class on a recent Thursday by having students read articles and answer questions that prompted them to consider why service learning may benefit young people. Following the brief discussion, she then explained that students would have the opportunity to make Helena’s Hope Bags and Little Lunch Bags. 

Helena’s Hope Bags consist of warm items and a note placed into a gift bag to be donated to the homeless. According to literature from The Giving Tree, the project is named after an activist who assisted the homeless in Philadelphia, a city where more than 1,000 individuals sleep on the streets. Students assembled the bags and wrote messages of encouragement to go along with their kits.

Little Lunch Bags, which were assembled using packs of applesauce, granola bars, and other non-perishable items, are for children experiencing food insecurity. The students learned that one in six children in the United States live in poverty, according to statistics provided by The Giving Tree.

Ms. Hepler’s students, whose families are from countries around the world, were encouraged to write messages in their native languages as well as in English.