Newton Parrish students take home items for family members for free



Article Link: The Owensboro Times

Newton Parrish Elementary School’s gymnasium transformed into an Amazon warehouse Friday, with each student taking home two items for someone in their life for free. The school is the first of several throughout the Owensboro Public Schools district that will host an Amazon Donation Day.

Amazon Donation Day is hosted by 4 Good Community’s School Outreach Program. Based in Henderson, the program serves 20,000 people weekly throughout the Commonwealth, according to its website.

Newton Parrish Principal Andrew Self said the event was a token of generosity.

“They’re not shopping for themselves. They’re shopping for an adult in their life, a parent, a friend, something that they could use, or something they can eat in their house. We’re really trying to do this mindfully and thinking of someone else,” Self said.

The items available were surplus and included a vast range of products: heaters, cooking utensils, catalytic converters, wall decorations, luggage, shoes, hats, folding wagons, and more. According to Self, all items were valued up to $800.

As the students made their way through the tables, they thought of how their mother, father, aunt, or another relative could use the item. The generosity began almost instantly, as several students huddled around a box to carry a heater or lawn chair for one youngster to bring back to their seat.

Self said that for students who selected an object too big to bring on the bus, the school would work with the family to get the item home safely.

According to OPS Public Information Officer Jared Revlett, the program will be extended to other schools in the district. By the end of the school year, 4 Good Community aims to offer the same opportunity to all schools in the Owensboro Public School district.