by Katie Vasquez
Firefighters in the Los Angeles area are overwhelmed as flames destroy property and lives on the West Coast, and those on the East Coast watch in horror.
“To see it destroyed like that, it’s devastating. just devastating to me,” said Janice Ray, a 1st grade teacher’s assistant at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.
“Every day just gets worse and worse. It’s really bad. I feel really sorry for the animals and people over there,” said Mason Clinton, a 6th grader at the school.
It’s why all 300 students at the Forest Hills school are starting Catholic Schools Week with a show of support, writing letters to California first responders and members of the Pasadena Humane Society.
“Thank you for saving our beloved animals from the wildfires,” wrote 3rd grader Samuel Ortiz. “You protect the animals and give them shelter. They are part of our ecosystem.”
The older students guided the younger ones in their penmanship, passing down their knowledge and a lesson in charity.
“I feel like the first responders over there will really enjoy them. and it will give them motivation, because coming from a whole school, it’s just amazing,” said Mohit Kapoor, an 8th grader at the school.
Some students also turned into support animals, donating two dollars to dress down as furry friends.
Jan. 28 was service day as part of Catholic Schools Week, and the school was happy to spread the lesson.
“We teach religion in the school, you teach kindness and being helpful and so on and so forth. But this actually is a lesson where they’re actually doing something hands-on and they’re very, very excited about,” said Ray.
It’s one that just might be sinking in for these students.
“I didn’t dress up as an animal because I didn’t have any animal stuff, but I still donated money,” said 8th grader at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy, Matthew Stalzer.
Our Lady of Mercy anticipates they will donate a total of $1,000 to the Pasadena Humane Society, and all the letters will be mailed out by the end of the week.