West donation center. Photo: Ron T. Ennis/AP
Show up at the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League Run the Highlands 5k this weekend and donate to victims of the West, TX disaster.
Right after the hurricane in New York last November, I heard an interesting story on NPR. In the aftermath of the devastating storm were myriad problems, not the least of which was an overflow of donations and how to contend with them. Similarly, so many stuffed animals were sent to Newtown, Conn. following the tragic school shooting that the town was pleading with the public to stop, according to the story.
The desire to help, to send love in the form of warm clothing and teddy bears, is a beautiful thing, but the point of the piece was to encourage people to channel those intentions.
So, what do the people of West, TX, following a fertilizer explosion that practically flattened the whole town, need?
The simplest answer is cash and/or gift cards. Aside from that, it’s easier to start with what they do not need— used clothing, shoes, toys, bedding and bottled water. According to the Superintendent of West ISD, the donation center in West is fully stocked with the aforementioned.
The rest of the West school district needs are listed at the end of this post.
V.O.I.C.E.S., a peer-helping and community service group at Lake Highlands High School, is going to make it very easy for neighborhood residents to contribute. They’ll set up at the Run the Highlands 5k this Saturday at Lake Highlands North Park, directly across the street from the high school. Abdul Alattry, V.O.I.C.E.S. president says they will be there from 8-11 a.m. Collecting:
Checks made out to either Point West Bank (200 W. Oak Street West, TX 76691) or State National Bank (100 N. Main West, TX 76691).
Gift cards, preferably Wal Mart, Sams or Target.
Gallon Water Jugs
Cleaning Wipes
Heavy Duty Trash Bags
Latex or other types of Gloves
Cleaning Supplies
Large Plastic Totes
New Towels (bath, hand and rag sizes)
Cleaning Rags
Paper Towels
School supplies
Reams of white paper
6th-12th grade Books (the school library was destroyed)
Walmart, Sams and Target Gift Cards – for teachers to get supplies as needed
Pre-packaged Snacks
Art Supplies
