West Orange Students Create ‘Kindness Kits’ For People In Need

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Students at Redwood Elementary School recently completed a “Kindness Kits” project as part of their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Student council co-advisors Jennifer Paull and Christie Landau worked with the council to collect a variety of donated goods for people in need.

This year’s kits included snacks, drinks, toiletries, hats, scarves and first aid items. Donations were collected for three weeks. Council members then helped to sort and organize the donations so that buddy classes could pack up the kits and create cards to go together with them.

School counselor Rebecca Beutel organized this year’s list, and principal Kimya Jackson and Mrs. Kargbo-Jackson delivered more than 200 kits to the H.E.L.P. Center, a homeless shelter in Newark.

Meanwhile, the Holy Trinity-West Orange Food Pantry received about 100 kits, which were dropped off by Paull and Redwood fifth grade teacher Chris Yonitch.

“We are very grateful for the Kindness Kits,” food pantry administrator Cynthia Cumming said.

“My children attended Redwood School several years ago, and I still consider the staff to be like family,” Cumming added. “Our clients were happy to receive the kits, and they’ll be put to good use.”

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