By Jessica Hoover
For the second consecutive year, Shannon Edwards’ second-grade class at Hoosier Road Elementary has partnered with The Villages to donate baby formula for Formula One Day, a baby formula and food drive conducted May 10. The Villages is Indiana’s largest nonprofit child and family services agency that offers foster, adoption and community services.
Edwards said that when she first considered donating formula to The Villages, she and her class researched and discussed the organization.
“We really had to get into very serious conversations about what it means to be a foster child and how would that feel?” Edwards said. “Looking around the classroom, we all have two parents and a roof over our head. So, I just had so many kids just latch onto this idea. They just took off with it.”
To raise awareness and get formula donations, the class created presentations and iMovies and presented to every class at Hoosier Road Elementary, along with posting flyers around the school and Fishers. Some students went door-to-door with the flyers, and one student even presented in front of his church.
“One of my students, Kelden Smith, presented to his church at the 9 o’clock service and the 11 o’clock service,” Edwards said. “He stood up in front of his church to present, to ask his church to help donate to The Villages. As a second-grader, that is absolutely amazing. I still get chills about it.”
After 10 school days of work, the students donated 34,831 fluid ounces of formula to The Villages. Students also made tie blankets and raised money to purchase headphones for the foster children.
“We talk about how even though they’re in second grade, they can still make a difference in the world,” Edwards said. “Especially when adults get out of the way, it is so cool to see what kids can actually do when we give them that opportunity.”
