Gretchen Schulz, a 5th grade teacher at Crisman Elementary School, grew up in an area south of Lafayette, which recently had two schools seriously damaged by tornadoes. Crisman students and staff collected school supplies for those areas.
Below is a note from the principal about the collection:
Dear Crisman Families,
Our school prides itself on the use of our Critical Values both at school and at home. One of those values is compassion. Our students and staff have shown over the course of the year just how compassionate we are when it comes to helping others that are in need.
On November 17, the state of Indiana declared tornado warnings in many areas. One of the areas under a warning was Lafayette, Indiana. Lafayette is a city located approximately an hour and a half south of Portage. It is known for its agriculture, businesses, and education. It is now on the map for being hit with four tornadoes in a single day. One tornado destroyed Mintonye Elementary School and Southwestern Middle School. This was an EF3 tornado that ripped through the classrooms and took nearly everything from the teachers and students.
Their community is very grateful that the students were not in school on that Sunday. However, the students have no returned to school since that day. They do not have a building to return to. The elementary students are being rerouted to a local church, where they will host school for the students for the remainder of the year. The middle school students are going to crowd into another middle school. With all the changes and all the loss, the community of Lafayette is reaching out for help. They are asking for supplies that they can use to conduct school through May.
Donations were collected through Friday, December 6.