- After watching our neighborhood coverage about the lack of resources at the Tallahassee Veterans Village, one teacher passed along a despite to help that inspired a donation drive at Buck Lake Elementary School.
- Students, teachers, families, and the community contributed to the effort that is helping meet the needs of vulnerable veterans.
- Watch the video to find out why giving back to veterans is so important to Buck Lake and to see the reaction from the Tallahassee Veterans Village.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A great team effort to help our vulnerable veterans here at Buck Lake Elementary. I'm finding out how our recent neighborhood reporting inspired this school to start a donation drive and why it was so important for them to help their neighbors.
:It just makes me say "WOW"," said Anna, a student at Buck Lake.
Wow indeed.
"It's amazing, it just almost makes me cry," said Baylor, another student here.
Their excitement has been created after seeing the success of a recent food drive at Buck Lake Elementary School.
The school has been collecting donations for vulnerable veterans following our neighborhood news coverage
"My husband and I watch the news every morning before getting ready for work and we saw the segment of needing food and supplies at our veterans village," said Season Stark, a teacher here.
Stark said she reached out to her colleague Karen Young to see what they could do to help. With the support of Principal Ron Wetherington, they created the drive.
"Our door has opened and closed many, many times throughout the week of them bringing items in," said Young.
They've managed to collect all these donations. Items here have also been collected by the Lincoln High School Softball team.
Young, Wetherington, and Stark said all their fathers served in the military, so they are so proud of how the community has stepped up to help.
Wetherington said it is the cyclical nature of the story that resonates; neighbors having a direct impact on each other.
"One thing I love about this story, is that it started with you," said Wetherington, when I met him. "It started with with a story you ran, and found out about on social media, and then one of the teachers here at our school saw your story and then thought hey maybe we can do some good at the school"
Young said they have also been using this drive as a learning opportunity for students.
"It's so important for them to learn that we do things out of the goodness and kindness of our heart and not for anything else," said Young.
I checked back in with Tori Callan, Property Manager at the Tallahassee Veterans Village, to show her the donations that will soon be arriving.
"It is great," said Callan. "I mean, they've got food now and, it's just, I can't even express how thankful I am."
For students like Baylor and Anna who come from military families, they're so happy their school has played a role in helping some of our most vulnerable neighbors.
"I hope all those veterans out there will get better," said Baylor. "I really love you veterans."
Since our story aired, according to people working with the Tallahassee Veterans Village they have received donations from many individuals and organizations. It's been so inspiring to see our community come together to fill this need. If any of our coverage moves you to act, please keep me in touch at 850-509-3271 or Maya.Sargent@wtxl.tv.
