Video: Students At Area High School Prepare Care Packages For Hurricane Harvey Victims, First Responders

FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Students in the Career Pathways Class at Itawamba Agricultural High School are not only learning about finances and how to write an eye catching resume,  they are also spending part of their instruction time, filling ziploc bags with personal hygeine items, and other necessities.

“These are going directly to the shelters in Houston Texas and also to the rescue workers,” said Lori McGee Holland, who teaches the class and began a way to help Hurricane Harvey victims a couple of weeks ago. She came up with the idea of care packages, put the call out for donations and the community has stepped up in a big way. For Holland, part of the Career Pathways Curriculum is focused on becoming good citizens.

“I teach giving back to the community, every year, because Mississippi is a coastal state, and we have been ravaged by hurricanes before, tornadoes, we never know when we may be on the receiving end of this,” Holland said.

The care packages will be taken to Houston by volunteers with “Just the Crumbs Ministries.” They’ve just opened a thrift store in the area, and they have a big disaster relief operation that’s hard at work in Texas.

“Some of the folks from the high school, younger people had come and helped us in the store and found out about what we did and the fact that we were , had mobile kitchen and crews down there working in the Houston area,” said Don Smith, with “Just the Crumbs” Ministries.

Students say the partnership allows them to help those who have lost everything.

“We like helping people in need, that’s what we do in Mississippi, we help each other, we help, we like to help,” said IAHS Junior Payton Miller.

“We never know when we would be in the same situation, we love to give back and count our blessings where God is,” said IAHS Junior Ayauna Dunn.

The Career Pathways Class has a goal of making 100 care packages, they also have school supplies, diapers and MREs from the National Guard.

The shipment of goods for Hurricane Harvey victims should leave in a week or so. Donations are still being accepted at the IAHS office.

For more information look up “Just the Crumbs” Ministry on Facebook.