The Rock Bridge Student Coalition will be hosting a book drive with the help of the Missouri Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)  to benefit the Women and Children’s Hospital, the Rainbow House Emergency Shelter, and Title I preschools from April 4-22.
The annual Missouri PTSA convention is later this year in April. In honor of their tradition to choose a yearly service project, the PTSA chose the Rock Bridge Student Coalition to carry out a project of their choice, RBHS PTSA coordinator Deb Linneman said. The PTSA supports their student group financially and with parent volunteers as needed.
“We’re contacting local businesses to work as drop off sites and PTSA volunteers are helping manage these sites and transport books and post flyers,” Student Coalition member junior Sarah Bai said. “Students can donate to a drop off site and we will post flyers very shortly explaining where those are. One will be at Rock Bridge and one at Hickman.”
Student Coalition sponsor, Katherine Sasser, hopes this experience of helping younger kids will encourage to students to take more chances to give back to the community.
“I’m a fan of any opportunity for students to get involved in helping the community,” Sasser said. “[At RBHS], clubs are really students generated and driven, providing room for authentic leadership opportunities and ownership. I am consistently amazed at the way that students are willing to give and I’m sure this book drive will be no exception.”
Students like Bai share Sasser’s belief that giving back know will help future students and community members.
“I think this event is important because it unites not only our city, but our whole state in a project that is going to benefit local organizations,” Bai said. “It feels good to be working with local places that have helped citizens and give back to the city and help kids get the resources they need in order to learn.”