Local students hold school supply drive for Louisiana flood victims

PARIS, Tenn. — Local students begin an effort to help students in Louisiana get ready for school, just days after one of the worst flooding events in U.S. history washed through the streets of Baton Rouge.

“We saw that they didn’t really have anything because the flood had taken away a lot of their school supplies, so they were going to start back up with nothing,” ninth grader Josie Hudson said.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is a national Career and Technical Student Organization that provides personal growth, leadership development and career preparation opportunities for students in family and consumer sciences education.

E.W. Grove School’s chapter is doing what they can to help.

“People were sending clothes and household supplies, and no one was thinking about schools yet,” FCCLA teacher Janet Pearce said.

From binders and books to notebook paper and hand sanitizer, the freshmen are asking for your help along with any donations West Tennessee can provide.

“You hear about it a lot, like fundraisers, and you never actually think that you’re going to be the one doing it,” ninth grader Hailey Prince said. “So when you are you feel really important to somebody and you just feel like you’re helping a lot.”

The drive will last until Friday, Sept. 9. Drop-off locations include E.W. Grove School, Lakewood Elementary and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.

Items needed include binders, loose-leaf paper, dividers, page protectors, pens, pencils, calculators, notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, markers, composition books, plastic folders with pockets and brads, pencil sharpeners, staplers, staples, dry-erase markers, dry-erase erasers, Sharpies, backpacks, tissue, Clorox wipes, paper towels, library books, etc.