ACS is holding two community service projects to bless the youth in our community during this Christmas season — a Hat Drive for children impacted by cancer and a children’s Toy Drive. Families with students in kindergarten to the 12th grade are being asked to participate in the Hat Drive and Early Education families are being asked to donate for the toy drive. Both drives will run concurrently for three weeks — from Monday, November 29 to Monday, December 20. Collection boxes will be located in classrooms and in various school hallways.
The Student Council is overseeing the K-12th grade Hat Drive to benefit the nonprofit, Ellie’s Hats. Donated hats should be new, with the tag still attached, in sizes ranging from babies to teenagers (infant to 19).
The Early Education Toy Drive is supporting the outreach efforts of the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County, who will distribute the toys to children in the Atlantic City area during a “Three Kings Day” event on January 8. The toys should be new and unwrapped, for children from infants to 17 years old. The family of ACS 5th grade teacher, Nadya Lorick, is involved with the Hispanic Association and asked ACS to support the event.
Student Council Advisor Dave Genter said the student officers chose the Hat Drive as its winter community-service project after learning about ACS kindergarten student Emma Beltran, who underwent cancer treatment for a tumor in her kidney in 2018 and received hats to wear from the Maryland-based Ellie’s Hats, during her treatment.
“The treatments for cancer can be harsh and usually result in the loss of hair, which can be hard for an adult and even more traumatizing for a child,” Genter said. “We hope families will respond to this appeal and help make our Hat Drive a success.”
Emma’s mother, Shanice Beltran, who is also an ACS Early Education teacher’s aide, is now an ambassador for Ellie’s Hats, and will be overseeing the distribution of the hats collected during the Hat Drive.
“Our family has been blessed by Ellie’s Hats and we wanted to find a way to give back,” said Mrs. Beltran. “We’re so happy that the Student Council decided to lead a hat drive to benefit Ellie’s Hats and the important work that they do to help put a smile on the faces of children being treated for cancer.” Mrs. Beltran said the hats collected by the ACS drive will be given to children undergoing cancer treatment at southern New Jersey clinics and hospitals.
