Home News STUDENTS LEARN VALUABLE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE SKILLS THROUGH GIVING

STUDENTS LEARN VALUABLE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE SKILLS THROUGH GIVING

12/24/2022

Students in Richland School District Two are learning valuable leadership and service skills through charitable giving during the holidays. Each year students at all five of the district’s high schools, in collaboration with elementary and middle schools, lead school-wide service projects. These projects are designed to encourage students to explore, understand and address needs within the community.

Each school has a unique name for its holiday fundraiser: Holiday Wishes at Blythewood High, HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) 365 at Richland Northeast High, Winter Wishes at Ridge View High, Winter Days at Spring Valley High and W.O.W. Wishes of Westwood at Westwood High. Many of these programs have expanded into year-long drives that involve not only goods but also community service.

This year the schools collected 13,060 non-perishable food items, 52,567 meals, $20,029.02 in monetary donations, 2,301 toiletries, 1,304 pairs of socks, 1,262 children’s books, 412 children’s toys, 400 homeless outreach bags, 100 blankets, 75 dog toys, 71 pints of blood, 65 washcloths, and 57 scarves. Schools also adopted 68 families and collected 1190 items for Pawmetto Lifeline, 680 items for Homeless No More, 283 gifts for children at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital and 180 tote bags for SC Youth Advocate.

These donations are going to various organizations in the community, including the ones previously mentioned and The American Red Cross, Sistercare, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Richland County School Resource Officers, Operation Christmas Spirit, and WIS-TV Families Helping Families program. Richland Two employees at the District Office also contributed by filling holiday wish lists for 15 families in the district.