Centre County groups lend support to hurricane victims

Kids at State College Friends School are learning how to make their squash work for them — or more accurately for the citizens of Puerto Rico.

Friday marked the last day of the “Great Pumpkin Sale,” a three-week period during which students tried to unload three truckloads worth of gourds to support hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

“What it reinforces for young children and teens is that if you work together, you can find ways to help,” said Lori Pacchioli, director of advancement at SCFS.

The students set a very specific fundraising goal of $1,898 — or minus the dollar sign and comma, the same year that Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory.

According to Pacchioli, the kids were eager to be of service, even if that meant rolling or rotating the occasional pumpkin out on the front lawn.

“Children can be really mindful about what others need,” Pacchioli said.

That same basic sentiment could be applied to a group of local artists who donated greeting cards, paintings and prints to a benefit sale that will be held on Oct. 22 at the Bellefonte Museum of Art.

Proceeds will go to United for Puerto Rico, an initiative developed by the territory’s first lady, Beatriz Rosello, to aid those affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

“They’re Americans. They need help,” said Sue Lacy, the artist who organized the sale.

Lacy has friends in Puerto Rico who are still recovering from the damage the hurricanes left behind.

She hopes that whatever money they raise from the art sale will help people get help immediately.

“I know that there are still many, many people in Puerto Rico who are without resources,” Lacy said.

Meanwhile, Eve Bellinger, of Park Forest, has turned her attention to those affected on the Caribbean island of St. John.

Bellinger and her family visit there at least once a year and she wanted to do something to help with the recovery efforts.

Inspiration struck close to home.

“You look out the window and you can’t even see your yard there’s so many leaves,” Bellinger said.

She’s organized a group of volunteers from the Student Nurses’ Association of Pennsylvania who have agreed to spend Oct. 29 raking the lawns of anyone willing to donate money for toiletries and food items.

The size of the donation is of no consequence.

“I wanted to bring some sense of community locally to help some of our fellow Americans that may not be attached state side,” Bellinger said.

To request a visit from Bellinger’s leaf-cleaning crew, contact her at eis110@psu.edu.

This story was originally published October 13, 2017 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Centre County groups lend support to hurricane victims."