UPTOWN — A group of young men at Courtenay Language Arts Center have found success helping their fellow man.
And they're starting with their fellow man's feet. The group of about 25 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Courtenay, 4420 N. Beacon St., set a goal to collect and donate 400 pairs of socks to the less fortunate during the holiday season, students said.
"We chose socks because most people need socks than clothes or food," said one of the organizers, eighth-grader Alejandro, adding the group talked to shelters to discover what was most needed.
"I wanted to help others rather than help myself. I rather see people with happy faces when it's cold out in the winter," Alejandro said.
The students began the "Courtenay Cares Sock Drive" on Nov. 24 as a way to give back to their community with the help of about four mentoring groups. The school instituted a mentoring program for the first time this year requiring all students to have a mentor, said Elizabeth Pikes, a primary resource teacher and mentor at the school.
According to Pikes, 85 percent of the students are from Uptown and are on free or reduced lunch at the school. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, about 76 students at Courtenay are homeless, the second most among neighborhood schools.
The group has already reached its goal and surpassed it by about 200 pairs of socks, but is still taking donations until Friday. The mentors were hoping to teach students "how to be productive in society," but they've also surpassed teachers' expectations, said Pikes, who's seen some of the children in the program since the school merged with Stockton in 2013.
Alejandro said the project had its doubters and supporters, which made it even sweeter when they surpassed their goal.
Michael, an eighth-grader who Pike's seen flourish over the years, especially during the project, admits the project was far from easy.
"At first, I had doubts, too, but I wasn't going to give up. We just kept at it until we reached our goal," Michael said. Afterward "I felt really good. It felt really good that we can make a difference."
The group started by asking people around school to donate socks, then the young difference-makers began promoting on social media, even creating a video to promote the project. And it made a difference, Michael said.
"At first, it was only six of us, and now it's the whole school. I learned how to give back. And I learned that I'm very fortunate," he said. "You see people less fortunate and you feel bad. I wanted to give back to them."
Watch Their Promotional Video Here:
[Sock Drive from Courtenay Web on Vimeo.]
But the boys aren't stopping at their goal, they plan to use the extra socks they've received to create care packages for the homeless on the street around Uptown. They hope to hand out the packages in person Friday.
"Even though we surpassed our goal we're still trying to bring in more" until the drive ends, Alejandro said. "It feels good because seeing people makes me happy. It's a win-win situation."
Donations are accepted at the front office of the school, at 4420 N. Beacon St.
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