Giving Grizzlies
RYAN COLLINGWOOD/Press Woodland Middle School students donated $500 to the Union Gospel Mission on Wednesday, money they earned selling coffee to teachers. Front from left, Kimball Waddell, Jordan Lyon, Jaden Krier, Tabitha Bowles, Austin Hill, Kendall Pickford, Union Gospel Mission community events coordinator Ann Hammer and Paris Lobossiere. Back from left, Woodland faculty Trayce Hemenway, Jaime Valenzuela and Corey Brown.
RYAN COLLINGWOOD/Press Union Gospel Mission community events coordinator Ann Hammer gives Woodland Middle School students a tour of the Coeur d’Alene facility on Wednesday.
By RYAN COLLINGWOOD
Staff Writer
COEUR d'ALENE — A group of Woodland Middle School students visited the Union Gospel Mission on Wednesday, their attention locked to the testimony of a former drug addict.
The woman had lost everything, including custody of her two oldest children. She wore a smile when sharing her unfortunate story, though, thankful for the shelter's recovery program.
When the students' tour reached its lunch break, they sat with the woman in the cafeteria, engaging her as if she was one of their teenage peers.
Earlier in the day, those kids, members of the Grizzy Leadership Organization program, donated a check to UGM for $500, the funds coming from their community fundraiser project.
Using a Keurig and a milk steamer, the students earned every dime by selling coffee to Woodland teachers. In February, they donated $333 to the Kootenai Humane Society.
Eighth-grader Paris Labossiere was happy to see where her class' profits will be put to work.
"I think it's super cool that we donated here and to see the impact of how we can help someone put their lives back to together," Labossiere said. "Just a little bit can help someone tremendously."
Community events coordinator Ann Hammer gave the tour of the Coeur d'Alene facility, sharing its history, mission and the unfortunate circumstances which lead people to UGM. The center provides a home-like setting to women and children facing abuse, addiction and homelessness.
"A lot of you grew up having someone tell you that you could grow up to be anything you wanted to be," Hammer told the students when showing the facility's classroom. "Well, for some of the people we help, nobody ever told them that. Some grew up being told they were stupid and worthless. We're here to help them, put them on the right track. Give them the tools to succeed."
The visit coincided with the shelter's weekly birthday celebrations. The kids and their teachers joined in singing “Happy Birthday.” The students even helped clean the cafeteria.
"Helping people is their passion," Woodland vice principal Trayce Hemenway said. "These are types of kids that are going to grow up and become community leaders."
Hemenway, who is also a school counselor, was happy the women at the shelter helped give her students some perspective.
"Sitting down with the ladies made it real for them," Hemenway said. "It's one thing to just write a check, but to actually sit down and see how it impacts people is completely different. Seeing their idea come to fruition, and to see it help others, was really cool."