Pet Supply Drive a Hit With Summit Middle School Students

The holidays are a time to help the less fortunate.

Most times that means donating to a local food pantry or holiday gift drive.

Students at took their community-minded service and put it toward helping animals.

For the fourth year, the seventh-grade student leaders sponsored a pet supply drive last week.

"I think a lot of people think of donating for other people, and less about animals," said Lavina Kalwani, seventh-grade student leader.

Madison Clabaugh, seventh-grade student leader, echoed the idea.

"I think people donate to a food bank because you can see that people are hungry but you can't always tell with animals."

This year, the group organized a drive to benefit the Animal Rescue League of Greater Iowa and the Jasper County Animal Shelter, said student leader sponsor and teacher Elyse Brimeyer.

"We do a food drive annually in November, but we kind of took a different spin," she said. "We have a school dance in September and instead of charging like $3 for a ticket, we did a food supply drive. Students brought in three non-perishable items for a free ticket."

When Brimeyer approached the student leaders for project ideas four years ago, the students jumped on the idea of a helping animals.

"They were crazy about a pet supply drive," Brimeyer said. "This age group, they are all animal lovers, they just have this heart of animals. They are just crazy about helping pets in need. It's just really cute."

Twenty-seven student leaders set every aspect of the pet supply drive up, including fliers.

"We put boxes in each community for the classes to bring in different items," said Grace Coleman, seventh-grade student leader. "We asked for collars, paper towels. And we announced the drive every day to remind students."

This year, Brimeyer was able to create a list of the most needed donations for the ARL and Jasper County Animal Shelter.

"This is unique, one of our student council girls, her parents own Iowa Pet Foods on 22nd Street, which has an ARL pet adoption location," she said. "We contacted her mom and she spent a good list of items that were needed from her perspective."

In the past, the drive brought in toys, but the most needed items ended up being things like towels and cleaning supplies, Brimeyer said.

The students took the  new list to heart bringing in food, leashes, Zip Lock bags and other simple materials.

"They said they got a lot of costumes last year that they didn't need," Madison said. "It's doesn't have to be a toy, but more useful."

Donating at the pet supply drive is just as easy as a food drive, Grace said.

"Some people think they have to make a special trip to get something for a pet drive," she said. "But you can use things around the house or gently used items."

At the end of the week, Brimeyer said parents volunteer to take the supplies to the shelter.

"All the kids raise their hands when we ask for volunteers," she said. "The last two years, one or two families who have dropped off items, they end up adoption an animal. It's really cute."

Lavina said she hopes to volunteer time at a shelter next summer.

"I think they really appreciate the help and donation," she said. "It's too far away from me right now, but I want to."

As of Friday afternoon, Brimeyer wasn't sure of a final count for the pet supply drive, but estimated it to be on track with last year, which brought in about 80 items.

"They are just very caring about everyone and everything," she said of Summit students. "They just are very compassionate, all of the kids in the school and particularly the student leaders."