‘Building awareness and compassion’

Posted on: 12/18/24

For a third year, the Kilcoyne family, their friends and groups from Ardrey Kell High School including the band, theater, cheer and baseball, were able to support 50 Smithfield Elementary School students through their annual Angel Tree.

Students received items from their wish lists, winter coats, clothes and shoes as well as food items for their families thanks to donations from local churches.

“We served a full 50 this year, which is tremendous,” said Juliane Kilcoyne. “Our goal is to continue to grow and make sure that every kid here at Smithfield has a wonderful holiday. As long as we can organize the volunteers to do so, we’ll continue doing it.”

In addition to the Angel Tree, Mojdeh Harlan, Smithfield Elementary principal, said the school has been participating in a canned food drive as part of their recent Manners and Kindness Week. Harlan said the week served as an opportunity to build “awareness and compassion” in their students.

“The biggest thing is that we’re all here to help each other,” said Harlan. “We wanted to do this canned food drive so that we can build awareness in our students that we want to give back to others. We are just so grateful that so many families are pouring into our students and into the community here at Smithfield.”