Students Collect Items for Troops

Three active members of the Attleboro-based 338th Engineers Company of the U.S. Army Reserve visited last week to receive personal items recently collected by honor students at the school.

Attired in Army fatigues, Michael Wynn of Taunton and Raymond Tanguay of Pawtucket joined Family Readiness Group Director Rena Tanguay in accepting several cartons of goods donated by Dayspring Christian students and their families as part of its "Hero Challenge," a program designed to assist local military personnel and their families. Under the supervision of adviser Kim Theroux, the school's nine National Junior Honor Society members recently organized and operated the drive as part of a community service project.

Students contributed candy, stuffed animals, lotion, books, devotionals and Bibles, encouraging notes, stockings, hats, gloves and money from their classmates. The collected items filled approximately 12 shipping boxes. Cash donations totaled $700.

Most of the collected items were sent to soldiers based overseas, while the remaining materials were donated to the 338th Engineers Company.

 “We'll bring these items back to our base to be distributed to our soldiers on duty," Tanguay said. "Whatever we can't use, we will donate to the Army program 'Packages for Soldiers.'"

Dayspring Christian honor students participating in the drive included eighth-graders Jacob Clark, Ashwini Asirwatham, Olivia Phillips, Victoria Iannelli, Dante Pires and Kristen Petagna and seventh-graders Sharon Rajadurai, Emily Ferguson and Tara Iannelli.

When the reservists arrived at Dayspring Christian, they spent a few minutes waiting in the main lobby of the school for the NJHS members to be excused from their classrooms for a group photograph. In the interim, dozens of students passed by the reservists and many shook their hands and offered encouragement in an unrehearsed display of support.

"We are very grateful to this school for its help," Tanguay said. "Dayspring is the first school in this area to sponsor a program like this."