Hurricane Harvey devastated the lives of many people in Texas and had a $190 billion impact on the economy, according to nbcnews.com. The school system took a direct hit along with it. Many of the schools in Beaumont, Texas were left destroyed, forcing children out of school for months.

Ninety-one percent of Beaumont schools are below the poverty line, meaning they can’t afford basic school supplies. This inspired teacher Miss Marnie Hade to start a charitable event to help the Hurricane Harvey students in need.

After discovering the struggles Beaumont schools had to deal with, Miss Hade planned the charity event to deliver donated underwear, pencils, pens, erasers, folders, notebooks, binders, crayons, markers, rulers, glue, and other supplies to Beaumont students in need.

“You know what you need for class,” said Miss Hade. “Why not go from student to student?”
The elementary school, child care, alternative school, middle school, and high school participated along with other schools such as Coldwater, Michigan Center, and Lumen Christi.

Donations were also made at the Gold Club Breakfast and the Homecoming game, which marked the end of the charity event on Sept. 22.

Mrs. Cathy Hickey donated more than $75 worth of underwear and school supplies, making her one of the most generous donors.

“People are in need,” said Mrs. Hickey. “They need to be helped, and I have the resources, so I can do that.”

After all donations were completed, there was a meeting for high school students interested in taking part in the next Give Hope disaster relief trip on Oct. 15. Any students can still talk to Miss Hade if they are interested in the trip.

“Since Hurricane Katrina, we [people that have taken part in the disaster relief program previously] have taken high school and college age kids and adults to places all over the country,” said Miss Hade.

Overall, the charity event ended up successful, with hundreds of dollars worth of donations being collected, and sent to students in need.

Finally, with the Give Hope disaster relief trip on the horizon, more opportunities for good have almost arrived.