Local school hosts shoe drive

BASCOM — Hopewell-Loudon High School's Class of 2027 is conducting a shoe drive now through Dec. 31, with hopes to provide footwear for those in need with colder weather approaching. The shoes collected after the fundraiser become an economic lifeline for individuals and families living in developing nations. Carla Young, class of 2027 advisor, shared that the idea for the fundraiser came about as an effort to do something different. "We can't re-do fundraising ideas that have previously been done this year," said Young. "Plus, we wanted to do something that we knew those receiving donations would be excited about." Members of the Class of 2027 are seeking new or lightly worn shoes (no holes) to be collected at any of Hopewell-Loudon Local School buildings. Donation buckets can be found outside the main entrance of all district buildings and participants are asked to put the donated shoes into a tied plastic bag. "Our goal is to donate 2,500 pairs of shoes by the time we are finished," said Young. "This goal is very achievable, especially if we receive additional participation from neighboring communities and districts." Young continued by explaining that this is the first time a class at Hopewell Loudon has conducted a fundraiser through Funds2Org, a social enterprise that partners with nonprofits, schools, and others to help them plan and implement shoe drive fundraising campaigns. For more information, contact Young at cyoung@hlschool.net.