School charitable drive will help 80 families this year

A  toy drive at Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School and the high school will continue through Thursday as RCS students continue their efforts to help those less fortunate.

In the meantime, students and faculty at the school will began preparing gift baskets and presents for the needy families on Wednesday, wrapping the presents and sorting the goods into the proper baskets.

The toy drive supports Operation Christmas at Pieter B. Coeymans, which this year is providing gifts and care packages for 32 families – approximately 80 children - in the community, said organizer Laurie Abelson.

Funds are donated to the school by the greater Ravena community, faculty, staff, parents and students to support the effort.

Each child will get clothing and one or two toys in addition warm clothing. Meanwhile, each family will receive food and personal hygiene items. Some of those items were purchased during a student shopping spree – which doubled as a math lesson – last week at Wal Mart.

In conjunction with Operation Christmas, the school is hosting a mitten tree drive. The tree, located in the school’s corridors, is being decorated by donations of hats, mittens and scarves from students, parents, faculty and staff.

The donation-decorations in turn will be given to needy families.