Baskets Of Joy

The Student Lighthouse Team, at Lynwood Avenue Elementary School in Farmingville, exhibits leadership in all that they do. Throughout the school year, the team, with teacher advisors Christal Satterfield and Jake Poffenbarger, meet twice a month and develop community service projects. Recently, the team decided to make spring baskets and donate them to the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The collection of items was a school-wide effort which included: baby socks, rattles, toys, stickers, art and craft kits, and books. Each day, students from the team went around collecting items from the classrooms and organized them. Older students were then buddied up with younger students and given an age group and gender to make a basket for. In addition to baskets for individual children, the students also created two enormous baskets for the playroom at the hospital. When asked to share their thoughts about creating the baskets, Sid shared, “I think that I learned that I had the power to do what I can to help the kids who are less fortunate, and the kids in the hospital specifcally, that don’t have the opportunity to go out and buy the things for themselves.” Brianna added, “It made me appreciate what I have and appreciate my own life more.” Lastly, Jada added, “I hope that the baskets made the kids happy and excited about the holiday and spring time, and hopefully, it gives them more hope to get better.”