Contractor makes donations toward student resources

May 1—WEST MIDDLESEX — When a student's family is struggling at home, they may need something more than school supplies — like a winter coat or new shoes — but can't afford it.

Thanks to programs like the green stores at West Middlesex Area School District, students can easily and indiscreetly grab something they need at no charge. And through the generosity of a contractor, those programs recently received a financial boost.

The donation — about $5,000 to the green stores at West Middlesex, $5,000 for a Raiders Room at the Reynolds School District and $1,000 for the Mercer County Career Center — came courtesy of Huckestein Mechanical Services.

"When these companies come to work here, they're big firms that are used to doing a lot of work at colleges and universities and hospitals," said Raymond Omer, superintendent of the West Middlesex and Reynolds school districts.

"When Huckestein came to our school systems and saw everything we're doing, they saw we're not just providing an education — we're providing all the other things students need."

Huckestein was previously contracted to perform HVAC upgrades at the West Middlesex Area School District, where Omer said the contractors noticed the two green stores, one for elementary students and a second for high school students.

The stores provide anything a kid may need, such as clothing, health and beauty products, or even a snack, in case the student can't get such things at home.

A couple years later, Huckestein's team — including engineers, project managers, vice presidents and presidents — were making a presentation at a Reynolds school board meeting earlier this year regarding an HVAC project at the Reynolds School District.

That same evening, Reynolds Supervisor of Children Accounting Anna Wilkinson was making a presentation for a Raiders Room — the same student supply room-concept as the green rooms at West Middlesex schools.

A day or two later, Omer said he was called by Huckestein's regional vice president, Jonathan Staso, who announced the desire by Huckestein's team to make a financial contribution to the supply rooms at West Middlesex and Reynolds schools.

"They said that they had never experienced the level of thoughtfulness that the schools in Mercer County were putting toward the care of the students and their needs, and how the whole community was rallying around the kids," Omer said of the Huckestein team.

Aside from the donations toward West Middlesex and Reynolds, Huckestein had also done a smaller job at the Mercer County Career Center.

When asking how to make a donation for the trade students' needs, such as boots, gloves or safety gear, Omer said he could take $500 from each donation and put it toward the career center. Instead, Huckestein made an additional $1,000 donation toward the center.

"They were really inspired by these projects," Omer said.

Wilkinson said she had previously worked at Keystone Charter School and started a similar program there called the Keystone Closet.

"I noticed some kids were having issues with truancy and bullying and hygiene issues, and once we started getting them some of the things they needed, we started seeing improvements in their attendance, their academic performance, and their self-esteem," Wilkinson said.

With the Raiders Room, Wilkinson said Huckestein's donation will help get the project started with new clothes and hygiene items, and eventually expanding into other items the students might need.

Due to some ongoing renovations at Reynolds, Wilkinson said school officials are looking at a permanent room to house the Raiders Room, where students can access the store's goods without drawing attention to themselves.

However, Wilkinson said she hopes to overcome that stigma due to the many students who need items, whether it's because of financial issues or because a student simply forgot a shirt for gym class.

"The other thing is that a student might need dress clothes for job interviews, so we want the students to do well in school but we also encourage our students to get employment and learn responsibility and money management," Wilkinson said.

If anyone from the community would like to contribute to the Raiders Room, they can bring donations or items to the Reynolds School District's central administration office.

For West Middlesex's elementary students, elementary Principal Dr. Tammi Mild said the store uses a lot of recycled or reused items, like cleaned clothes, hence the "green" part of green store.

That store has multiple sources of support throughout the community, since a parent resource community contacted multiple churches and local organizations and explained the need.

"We've had parents donate clothes when their kids grow out of something instead of throwing it away," Mild said. "It's surprising to have kids coming to school without things like socks, but this isn't aimed at any group or socio-economic status — it's about helping a child in need."

At the elementary level, a child may express a need themself or a parent may call in to let the school know their possessions were lost in a house fire.

"For children, I think it's easier for them to access their education when comfortable and feel like they fit in," Mild said.

The green store at the West Middlesex Jr. Sr. High School is operated by Students for Charity and its advisor Raeann Green, with fundraisers held throughout the year to support the green store and other activities, high school Principal Tessa Simmons said.

If a student needs to use the green store, they can stop by in the morning when it is manned by Green, or the student can stop by the main office, nurse's office or guidance office and ask to use the store, Simmons said.

Students are also introduced to the green store at the beginning of every school year, with reminders included in the school district's announcements, Simmons said.

"The students are always so appreciative, because a lot of these students don't want to ask for things, and it means so much to them," Simmons said. "And then, once they get what they need, they're coming to school with a better attitude and they're more confident."

If anyone would like to donate toward the West Middlesex green stores, they can contact Mild at tmild@westmiddlesex.org to arrange the donation for the elementary store.

Donations to the high school green store can be dropped off at the high school office from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. during weekdays, Simmons said.

Wilkinson, Mild and Simmons said they were all very grateful for the "generous" donation made by Huckestein, and also thanked the community that continues to support their supply rooms.

"It's one way to make the world a better place," Mild said.

Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.