THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606130167
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 49 lines
Fifth-grader Loumilia Dillard enjoys arts and crafts. She also wanted to do something to help others. The Bettie F. Williams Elementary School student came up with a way to combine the two.
She and four school chums decided to make ``people'' pins, sell them and give the profits to charity.
The five young artisans used pipe cleaners, wood carvings, fabrics and plastic backings to make tiny pins that can be worn on shirt collars or lapels. Their creations were painted, stamped or otherwise rendered artistic by Loumilia and her partners in charity, Shanicka Lee, Aisha Carney, Patty Drayton and Jasmine Ferebee.
Designs included a crowing rooster, a heart, dogs and houses. Loumilia held a blue and green design that looked like two fish cutting an arc through the water.
Aisha said, ``We sort of got the idea of helping people after the Oklahoma City bombing.''
The girls, who raised about $65 by selling their creations to teachers, classmates and parents and at school functions, received support from their teacher Jean James, guidance counselor Debora Bergfield and principal Edward Gibbs.
``I'm extremely proud of what they've accomplished,'' said Gibbs. ``Articles in recent education journals comment upon service-learning, projects which help those in the larger community. These girls are a fine example of that principle.''
Aisha said she and her friends knew they wanted to donate the proceeds somewhere - they just weren't sure where. ``Mrs. Bergfield gave us a variety of groups and we picked Samaritan House,'' she added.
The girls not only initiated the project and decided who would benefit from it, they also used marketing to sell their wares. Patty Drayton made posters heralding the pins and placed them in the school hallways.
Judy Shore of Samaritan House accepted the check from the school at a ceremony Tuesday. The non-profit agency provides shelter and other assistance for battered women and their children. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
These students at Bettie F. Williams Elementary - back row from
left, Shanicka Lee, Loumilia Dillard and Aisha Carey; and front row,
Patty Drayton and Jasmine Ferebee - created and sold designer pins
and donated the profits to the Samaritan House. by CNB