Las Cruces Public Schools has launched a 2023 “Campus Kindness Drive” as students and staff at LCPS elementary, middle and high schools “work collectively as a campus to serve nonprofit organizations to (help) provide extra support to those facing hardships in the community,” the school district said in a news release.
Each school is working to collect monetary donations and/or in-kind donations to distribute to a local nonprofit chosen by the student body. Student leadership groups at each school have begun collecting cash and items in schoolwide donation drives.
In addition to the “Campus Kindness Drive” at each school, LCPS Central Office is promoting “Kindness in the Community.” Since October, LCPS has been collecting blankets, coats, gloves and other warm clothing as part of the “Spread the Warmth” cold weather drive.
“The idea is to model what we ask of our schools to unite efforts and multiply kindness in the community,” LCPS said.
LCPS is asking for community support with donations to help students meet their goals.
Each school is collecting items to serve different needs.
LCPS’s Nov. 9 “High Schools’ Got Talent” event at Plaza de Las Cruces is part of Campus Kindness, as all six LCPS high school participate in a talent show. Students will be accepting monetary donations to support Karina Cano Perez, an Organ Mountain High School student who is in need of both a liver and a kidney transplant. visit www.COTAforKarina.com.
Here are schools’ Campus Kindness fundraisers:
- Doña Ana Elementary School is collecting donations of items to design and distribute fleece blankets for Jardin de los Niños, the nonprofit that provides childcare and education for children and families struggling with homelessness
- Booker T. Washington Elementary School is collecting donations of jackets and shoes for students in the City of Las Cruces Weed and Seed program.
- East Picacho Elementary School is collecting non-perishable food items for NMSU’s Aggie Cupboard.
- Alameda Elementary School is collecting items as it works with Cruces Creatives makerspace to make scarves, with United Way to collect items for hygiene kits and writing greeting cards for residents of Mesilla Valley Community of Hope and assisted living centers where students will be caroling.
- Desert Hills Elementary School is collecting donations of canned goods to benefit El Caldito Soup Kitchen.
- Mesilla Park Community Elementary School is collecting donations for Thanksgiving food drives in partnership with Casa de Peregrinos emergency food program.
- Sunrise Elementary School is collecting food pantry donations for the school’s families in need.
- Hillrise Elementary School is collecting donations of non-perishable food items as the student council works with the community to build a food pantry at the school.
- Sonoma Elementary School is collecting cash donations to benefit Cancer Warriors of Las Cruces, which is part of Marci Dickerson’s Revolution 120 nonprofit.
- MacArthur Elementary School is collecting canned goods and other non-perishable food items for Casa de Peregrinos emergency food program.
- University Hills Elementary School is collecting food and clothing items to donate to University United Methodist Church Community Pantry.
- Tombaugh Elementary School is collecting cash donations as part of a school competition to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Coins for Cancer fundraiser.
- Columbia Elementary School is collecting blankets to donate to the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley to benefit the animals the shelter is caring for.
- Mesilla Elementary School is collecting donations of canned goods and other non-perishable food items to donate to Gospel Rescue Mission.
- Loma Heights Elementary School is collecting in-kind and cash donations to benefit a local organization dealing with pediatric cancer.
- Conlee Elementary School is collecting in-kind donations as part of the pictures, poems, letters, etc. of kindness its students will create to brighten the lives of patients at Casa Del Sol Center nursing home.
- Central Elementary School is collecting donations of toiletries, warm clothing and blankets for students served by Jardin de Los Ninos education and childcare program.
- Hermosa Heights Elementary School is collecting donations of canned foods to benefit families that are part of Las Cruces Public School’s migrant program.
- Zia Middle School and Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy are raising monetary donations through their Pennies for Paws collection drives to benefit Four Paws and a Wake Up, Inc. program of Las Cruces.
- Picacho Middle School is seeking donations of hygiene products to be given to refugees staying at Holy Cross Retreat Center.
- Camino Real Middle School is collecting cash and in-kind toys and gift items for middle- and high school students as it partners with Toys for Tots of Las Cruces. The school has written a $5,000 grant and needs to raise $2,500 of that amount in donations.
- Mesa Middle School is collecting cash donations as part of its Penny Wars fundraiser to benefit Jardin de los Niños’ adopt-a-family program.
- Sierra Middle School is collecting cash and In-kind donations for its program in support of Unified Sports of New Mexico.
- Organ Mountain High School is collecting cash for a student who needs life-saving liver and kidney transplants. Visit COTAforKarina.com. (COTA stands for Children’s Organ Transplant Association.) As of Nov. 6, COTA for Karina has raised $5,675 of its $50,000 goal.
