Kids helping kids: Tuscola students send supplies to the panhandle
TUSCOLA, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — For weeks, the panhandle has seen devastating impacts from the Smokehouse Creek fire, and people across the nation, state, and Big Country are jumping in to help. Many are sending items for impacted farmers and ranchers and clothing for families who lost their homes, but some students in Tuscola are helping in another way. 10-year-old Makyla McGrew and her friends hosted a school supply drive to help students.
The idea for this drive came from Makyla after she saw how the fire impacted many.
“I heard about the panhandle fire, and I really wanted to help because I wanted to bring smiles to the children and pets,” said Makyla.
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She accepts items like pencils, colored pencils, crayons, notebooks, backpacks, and, of course, dog and cat food. Her mom, Jessica McGrew, shares that she’s not doing it alone.
“She had her friend Addie Hurt help her and go shopping for some of these things. It was nice seeing them bond and say, oh, this is what a kid would like,” explained McGrew.
She added that this is not the first time Makyla has come up with an idea to help someone else.
“It’s just how she is. She likes to see people smile; she doesn’t like to see people upset. Makyla has always liked to help the community. She’s done other things: the pet drive, food drives, and gifts for seniors,” added McGrew.
She chose to fill backpacks so it’s something children impacted by the fires can keep long-term.
“She wanted something that was theirs. It’s something that they lost everything, and nobody else could take. You know you feel lost when you’re in a fire. You don’t have anything, so she wanted the backpack and the blankets so they felt comfortable and safe,” explained McGrew.
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All in an effort to make them smile and to encourage others to spread kindness and to help one another.
“It makes me happy to see people knowing that someone is looking out for them and that they are going through a rough time. To make someone smile, if you notice somebody frowning or something, give them a high five or do something nice for them,” said Makyla.
The items they collected were brought to the panhandle on Saturday, March 16.
Makyla and her friend Addie have been doing this drive for two weeks, filling about 60 backpacks with supplies… But Makyla doesn’t plan on stopping there as they plan to have another drive this Christmas for gifts for senior citizens.
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