SE Valley Times

Gilbert Elementary School in Arizona recently completed a donation drive, providing over 900 stuffed animals and handwritten notes to students affected by the Pacific Palisades Fires in Los Angeles. This initiative was organized by Gilbert Elementary’s Pawsitive Leaders and the Kindness & Service Club, with support from Just Serve.

The drive began on January 20, 2025, aiming to offer comfort to displaced students through gifts of stuffed animals accompanied by encouraging messages. Every student at Gilbert Elementary participated by writing a note to accompany each donated toy.

Louise Heeman, a social worker at Gilbert Elementary, explained the motivation behind the project: “We asked our Pawsitive Leaders what they would want if they didn’t have anything else, and they agreed on stuffed animals. Their favorite day of the year is ‘Bring Your Stuffie to School Day’ so we decided to start collecting stuffed animals to donate.”

Initially collecting 480 toys, other schools within Gilbert Public Schools contributed an additional 200 stuffed animals. The effort was further supported by a $200 donation from the Gilbert Elks and assistance from Wesley “Wes” Bender, who transported the donations during his trip to California. Bender commented on the community's involvement: “This has shown the true power of community. All it takes is one person to say ‘I can do something to help’ and people can come together to show real compassion for others.”

On February 14th, the collected items were delivered to Nora Sterry Elementary School in Los Angeles during a Valentine's Day event designed for students from both Nora Sterry and Marquez Charter School.

This project reflects the values promoted by Gilbert Public Schools—connecting with others, creating supportive projects, caring for well-being, and contributing resources—all demonstrated through this compassionate outreach effort.