Crafts for a Cause

Crafty Sixth Grade Student Council members put classmates to work over February vacation, creating handmade products to sell on behalf of hospice care.

The student council at the asked peers for donations of craft items such as hair bows, clips and jewelry for a student-led craft fair fundraiser on March 2 to benefit, which recently added on “Greater Boston” to its name.

Guidance  councilor and sixth-grade Student Council Advisor Christine Purcell said the idea was born when a few “industrious” young ladies put their talents and heads together.

“A few of the girls in student council had begun creating...hair clips. They were excited and saying, ‘We’ve been making these things…and we’re wondering is there something we can do with [them]?”

So the kids decided to pool together their individual crafts to benefit a collective cause. Some of the items they created included hand-painted barrettes, hair bows and purses constructed entirely of Duct tape.

“We decided to call it ‘Boutique for Hospice,’” Purcell said, laughing.

According to Purcell, school support for the hospice has been growing.

“We had already started the ball rolling by having a ‘Staff Jeans Day’ for hospice, where the staff each paid $5 to be able to wear jeans to work,” said Purcell, noting $360 was raised there. The proceeds from the craft fair, which weren’t available at the time of this interview, would be added to that amount. 

Giving back has been a big part of the middle school experience in Danvers.

“We did the food drive in November to benefit the P, then in December we made a donation to Operation Troop Support,” Purcell explained. “We always try to choose different local charities to donate to.”

Purcell hopes the monies raised will go to the alternative free therapies currently being offered at the non-profit hospice care agency, which is headquartered at 75 Sylvan St.

“They offer different free bedside therapies like reiki massage, aroma-therapy, pet-therapy, and art and music,” Purcell said. The free therapies are also made available to patients’ families and caregivers.

“The students got so excited thinking about the different things to contribute, but I did get some questions from a few of the boys about how they could help out, even if they’re not crafty,” Purcell said.

“They will work at the table selling items or collecting money, bring store-bought items like bookmarks and school supplies [or crafts made from kits]. We were open to anything and everything,” said Purcell on the day of the fair.

A video announcement was made via “Hawks News” the Thursday before February vacation in the classrooms and students distributed fliers to advertise the event. Purcell said nothing like that had been done before, so she was in uncharted territory.

The first event took place during parent-teacher conferences on March 2 so that parents and students had the opportunity to shop. Additional dates and times were planned for students only. 

“We’ve gotten a lot of really cute donations — we have the hand-painted barrettes and bows that the girls made, Duct tape roses and pocketbooks and wallets, and some satin eye masks,” Purcell said last week. There were also some winter weather items for sale. “Some students brought in hats and little decorated gloves, and fleece scarves,” she said.

“Honestly, it was put together so quickly,” Purcell said. “I had said to them before the vacation,  ‘Let’s just see how it goes,’ but we’ve had such a great response, we may keep this going for another charitable day, maybe in May, if the kids want to keep making things. They’ve done a great job. I’m really proud of them.”