Thanks to the efforts of the Saint Vincent Education Club, youths living in an area of Mississippi affected by hurricane Katrina have been given new school supplies.

The Education Club provided backpacks, used books, notebooks, crayons, paper and markers worth about $300 for hurricane victims. Of the total, club funds provided about $200, and an additional $100 in donations came from other members of the Saint Vincent community in a two-week drive held during fall semester. The Education Club also paid about $160 to ship the supplies.

A thank you note to the Education Club from teacher Karey Jackson of Franklin Upper Elementary School of Meadville, Mississippi, expressed her appreciation for the much-needed items.

She wrote, “I wanted to let you know 10 boxes arrived this morning. All I can say is WOW!!!! I wish you could have seen the look on their faces as we opened the boxes. There were exclamations from all of them ( “Now I have crayons!” “Oh! A booksack!”) Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

“We were really pleased,” Education Club President Stephen Bridge said about the project. Club Vice President Krystle Eleamos, who organized the project, said the group had used the web site www.giftsinkind.org in locating a school group in need of assistance. She said she was pleased with the contributions of the Saint Vincent community in support of this project.

Education Department faculty member Dr. Terry Calnen serves as advisor to the Education Club.