Secaucus Girl, 13, Gives Class Idea On How To Help Ukraine

SECAUCUS, NJ — This week, the middle school students at Waterfront Montessori School in Jersey City are learning about the Russian Revolution.

Naturally, conversation in the class on Monday turned to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The students told their teacher they were desperate to help; they wanted to do something for the Ukrainian people they kept seeing on the news, especially the children their own age.

But they had no idea how.

Then Sophie Oquendo, 13, of Secaucus, raised her hand. A shy, soft-spoken girl, she had an idea: She wanted to share that the town where she lives, Secaucus, is doing a collection drive for the Ukraine. Her mom read about it online. Maybe she and her classmates could somehow collect items for the drive.

The idea spread like wildfire. The school sent an email blast to all parents and within one day, the private school had collected hundreds of donations, such as diapers, powdered baby formula, children's books, children's toys and children's clothing.

"Our students really wanted to focus on the innocent children in all of this," said Emily Ortiz-Gorcie, marketing director for Waterfront Montessori, located on Warren Street in downtown Jersey City. "They were talking in our sixth, seventh and eighth-grade history class about how to help and it was Sophie who had the idea. You can't say 'no' to an idea like this."

"Yup, this was all Sophie's idea," chimed in her classmates, Cody Weisman, 13, of Jersey City, and Saif Jaludi, 11, of Cliffside Park.

After the adults turned away, the three kids looked at each other and smiled.

"Whew, we did it, Sophie!," said Cody.

On Wednesday, the three kids came to the Secaucus Tot Center to drop the items off. Sophie's mom, Katherine Altagracia, drove the kids to 145 Front Street. (Sophie attended Secaucus public schools up until seventh grade, when her mom started working at Waterfront Montessori.) Mayor Mike Gonnelli, Councilwoman Orietta Tringali and Councilman Jim Clancy were waiting in the snow to receive the bags and boxes of donated items.

"I can't thank you enough," Mayor Gonnelli thanked the kids. "I know one thing they really need is diapers."

Thanks in no small part to the town's social services director Lisa Snedeker, Secaucus is already working with the Ukrainian Women’s League of America to collect items for the millions of Ukrainians displaced by Russia's invasion. The town of Secaucus maintains a huge warehouse full of items donated by the residents of this town, plus items donated by private businesses.

There are probably two tractor trailer's worth of items, plus very badly needed medical supplies, plus more than $1,000 in cash donated by Secaucus residents, said Gonnelli.

The items will be sorted over the weekend and driven to Linden on Monday or Tuesday of next week, said Gonnelli. From there they will be shipped to Poland.

"I just had the idea," said Sophie. "I just wanted to help and I really did not know how."

If you want to help the people of Ukraine, you have through the weekend to drop off items at 145 Front Street: Town Of Secaucus Collecting Items For Ukraine

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