Page 14 - The Wayne Dispatch

Student helping students

By Carolyn Marnon aware of what supplies a student has
“Shaping the community’s small- access to.
est hands to do great things” has “My inspiration for doing this
been the driving force for Wayne Me- project again was so I could continue
morial High School senior Brooke helping the community as much as I
Johnson. Brooke started Commu- possibly can. I love creating a change
nity Circle as a force for change after and helping others. This is just one
she attended the Civitan Youth Lead- way I can help,” wrote Brooke in an
ership and Diversity Conference in email.
Indiana in the summer of 2019. She Brooke had the support of the
came home and began collecting for community. The Amazon wish list
her first project-school supplies for she created brought a steady flow of
the upper and lower elementary needed supplies throughout her
school teachers in the Wayne West- campaign. “I think it was because
land district. people felt safer shopping online, Wayne Memorial High School senior Brooke Johnson spent her summer rounding up
Brooke was busy this summer rather than going out to do their
rounding up donations for her latest shopping themselves,” said Brooke. donations for her latest back-to-school project.
back-to-school project. Supplies in- “We were also blessed with donors need within the community if they fore heading off to college. She’d like
cluded pencils, crayons, markers, who sent money to sponsor a stu- messaged/commented to me on Face- to attend Eastern Michigan Univer-
scissors, glue sticks, highlighters, dent. When they sponsored a stu- book.” sity. “My goal would be to study Busi-
rulers and pencil boxes. This year, dent, I did the shopping for the “My biggest challenge this year,” ness Management in hopes to
she has donated the stuffed back- supplies for that student’s bag.” she continues, “was the negative expand my knowledge in Non-Profits
packs to the Family Resource Center Brooke requested $15 donations to comments that I received towards so I can grow Community Circle to
where the bags will then be distrib- sponsor a filled backpack on a Go- the beginning of the campaign. It be its own legal non-profit so we can
uted to students in need. Because of FundMe page for Community Circle. knocked my spirits down when it reach more students and families in
the COVID-19 pandemic, it was un- Brooke was able to deliver 210 happened, but I got back up and need in the years to come. I am al-
known what the new school year backpacks filled with school sup- used it as a learning tool.” ways thinking of ways I can give back
would look like. If teachers were not plies to the Family Resource Center. Brooke is looking forward to to the community, so if the need
at school directly interacting with In addition, Brooke says “We were Summer 2021 when she will do her arises, I could be doing something
their students, they might not be able to bring bags to students in 3rd annual school supplies drive be- before next year. Stay tuned.”

14 · September 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch