Across the district, EPS students are focusing on how they can make a positive impact on their community by supporting local organizations in need of donated items.  Organizations like Aspen’s Angels, the Lydia House, the Douglas County Food Pantry and Womenade of Elkhorn will all be recipients of donations brought in by EPS students in a variety of fun ways!

While some schools hold simple donation drives and encourage students to participate, others make donating a challenge.  Elkhorn Grandview Middle School participates in a dodgeball tournament, where the team participation fee and the audience admission fee are a food item to be donated to the Douglas County Food Pantry.  Another school, Elkhorn Middle School, encourages participation by asking students to create sculptures out of the donated food items once the drive has ended.  In several elementary schools, Mitten Trees are set up.  On those mittens is the age and interests of a child in need; students choose a mitten and are able to bring in donated gifts to be delivered to the child for Christmas.

In the end, no matter the route taken to encourage donations, students are learning a valuable lesson about the importance of helping others in their community by giving when the need arises.