December 28, 2006

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Graystone fifth graders learn the spirit of giving

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Graystone Elementary School kids are learning about the spirit of giving. In a class project, they decided how to raise money for a local charity and where they wanted the funds to go. The result was a $250 donation to the San Jose Shelter.

Graystone kids present $250 donation to San Jose Family Shelter in the spirit of giving. Left: San Jose Family Shelter volunteer coordinator Sarah Weiner, Graystone Elementary School fifth graders Francesca Palmen, Sam Deghuee and Ryan MacDonald. Photo courtesy of Cathy Palmen

“We talked about a service project and the need to give back,” said Graystone Elementary School fifth grade teacher Malini Subramaniam. “The kids bought the seedlings and set up a garden. It teaches the kids about the community and how fortunate we are.”

With a plan in mind, the fifth graders nurtured seedlings into begonias, bougainvilleas and other flowering plants. Then they sold their product at school where parents, teachers and classmates purchased the greenery for gifts and decorations during the holiday season. The class decided to donate the money from the sale of the plants to the San Jose Shelter who helps children and families in need much like the tender, loving, care they applied to the foliage.

The San Jose Family Shelter was established in 1986 to provide shelter for the growing number of homeless families. In 1988, working with the City of San Jose and private donors, an empty warehouse was converted to a facility to house families. Individual family rooms, a commercial kitchen, showers, childcare rooms, offices, and classrooms were constructed.

The San Jose Family Shelter offers a safe place for 35 homeless families [up to 143 people] to live and receive services for up to 90 days. Seventy percent of the residents are children—the majority under 10 years of age. The shelter is committed to keeping families together during times of crisis.

“It truly is inspiring that the Graystone fifth graders have it in their hearts and thoughts to help other children during the holiday season,” said San Jose Family Shelter volunteer coordinator Sarah Weiner. “We really appreciate the kids helping. It was a very giving thing to do.”

Graystone classmates Sam Deghuee, Melanie Goble and Ryan MacDonald and Francesca Palmen delivered the donation to the San Jose Family Shelter before the holidays. But Ms. Subramaniam’s fifth grade class isn’t finished yet. They plan to grow vegetables to raise more money in the spring.

“It was fun to grow the plants,” said Graystone fifth grader Francesca Palmen. “My teacher came up with the idea of helping someone else during the holidays. It’s a good idea. We were able to give money to the shelter to help the kids.”

For more information on the San Jose Family Shelter, call (408) 926-8885 or visit www.sjfamilyshelter.org.

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