PSD students respond with hope to Haiti

AMERICANS ARE known for their generosity and humanitarianism in times of need. When disaster strikes, whether it is on our own Gulf Coast or thousands of miles away, our country rallies to help the people affected by tragedies. Oftentimes, a nonprofit group can cut through the bureaucracy much quicker than government and provide both instant and long-term relief.

The events that have unfolded in Haiti in the past three weeks have impacted us all. And while tragedies, sprinkled with a flurry of miracles, play out in the country that has lost so much, Peninsula School District and private school students are showing that their generation is not one of mere individualism and personal comfort, but of altruism and selflessness.

Across the Gig Harbor and Key peninsulas, students from kindergarten through 12th grade have filled jars full of allowance money, brought in shoes they no longer need and proven to the world that they care. Even when Kopachuck Middle School gave away pizza to the students who donated the most money, some felt ashamed that their donations were being rewarded.

Are these the same children that society says are removed from current events? That don’t read newspapers? That don’t care?

Whether spurred by a leadership class or a lone third-grader who wanted to help, schools have raised thousands of dollars in the past few weeks — and they’re not done yet.

Some are sending their money to the American Red Cross, while others have chosen to support religious organizations, such as Catholic Relief Services. Regardless, students only seem interested that their donations are used to help those in need.

Our society tends to glamorize individual accomplishment and celebrity while skimming over unsung heroes. But the dollars dropped into jars at schools across the area don’t come attached with donors’ names and photos; they merely become another small wave in the ocean of donations that will soon transform into food, clothing and medical supplies.

If there is a silver lining to this tragedy, it is this: We are discovering that things such as volunteerism (i.e., human actions that can’t be evaluated on a standardized test) are being fostered in our school system, and students are responding.

We never anticipate the tragedies that bring communities together, but it’s comforting to know that we can count on our students to recognize when others need help, and to respond appropriately.