Hingham Helps with Helene

November 22, 2024 By Kristin O’Brien

Fourth graders from across Hingham have come together for a town-wide, student-led fundraising effort to aid families of elementary school students in North Carolina who lost their homes and possessions in Hurricane Helene. In late September, the town of Swannanoa, North Carolina was devastated by the hurricane. The flooding reached 10 feet high in areas and the entire town was left without electricity or clean water. Making matters worse, the roads surrounding this small, close-knit community were washed away and rendered impassable, delaying much needed relief efforts. Christy Jones, principal of the W.D. Williams Elementary School in Swannanoa, said “[i]t’s hard to describe the devastation in our little town. There are very few homes and businesses that were not destroyed by the hurricane. Many went in the river and many are full of mud.”

Three 4th grade teachers from our local elementary schools, Eileen Farrell from Foster, Susan Willison from Plymouth River, and Brian DeMarco from East, saw this as an opportunity to help, while teaching their students a valuable lesson about kindness and empathy. These educators had organized a similar effort the prior year, with students ultimately raising over $11,000 to aid displaced students from an elementary school that had burned down in the Maui wildfires in the summer of 2023.

Mr. DeMarco said, “With the success last year of our fundraiser for the students affected in Hawaii, and with how creatively our kids responded, it made sense to try to replicate that enthusiasm to help the victims of Helene.” Hingham Helps with Helene Relief was launched in October, with the goal to raise funds to purchase clothing, shoes, school supplies, and other essential items necessary to get the students of W.D. Williams Elementary back into the classroom once it was safe for the school to reopen. The intent of the project is for the philanthropic efforts to be primarily led by the students. The organizers wanted to see the kids be creative and in their ideas and to put in the effort to raise the money themselves.

Fourth grade students across town enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to help. The kids have taken the initiative to organize lemonade, craft, and bake sales; run camps for younger kids; offer their services to complete chores such as raking leaves and walking dogs, and many more inventive efforts, all to raise funds for their peers in need. “The students’ enthusiasm and willingness to help others is remarkably heartening,” noted Ms. Farrell. “It’s incredibly rewarding to watch them grow in their ability to empathize with their peers, as they deepen their understanding of the importance of caring for others.”

One of the unique aspects of this project is that students have the opportunity to work on a joint mission with kids from other schools. Hingham Youth Football generously allowed the fourth graders to take over the concession stand at Lynch Field on the last day of Flag Football season. Students from all of the involved schools staffed the stand and worked together to sell treats and hot chocolate to Flag spectators. “It is exciting and inspiring to see our students work together to make our world a better place. They report that they feel proud of the things they do – no matter how big or small – to help others,” said Ms. Willison. “ I see them developing an understanding of events outside of their everyday lives and building empathy. It’s wonderful to see them empowered to make a difference!”

In addition to raising money to aid the families of W.D. Williams Elementary, the Hingham students have offered their support in other ways. They created cards that were sent to the North Carolina students to welcome them back once the school reopened. The cards illustrate just how thoughtful and empathetic these fourth grade students are. Ms. Jones and the teachers from Hingham have made plans for the fourth graders from W.D. Williams and the Hingham schools to be pen pals for the remainder of the year. The organizers hope the partnership between the schools in different parts of the country will enrich the fourth grade states and geography curriculum, as well as build a fun connection to their peers in another state.

Thank you to everyone in our community who has supported the fourth graders in this special project!