Almost every day there is news of another, or ongoing, natural disaster occurring in the United States. The most tragic aspect of any natural disaster is often the aftermath, of which images and footage of the destruction and impact are devastating. Hurricane Irma destroyed about 6.2 million homes, 60 percent of Florida’s houses. Hurricane Harvey caused at least 60 deaths as of August of 2017.

Individuals in the Parker community decided to organize a drive to help the hurricane victims. The drive, run by the Social Justice Committee, started on September 13 and ended September 29.

Donations such as clothing, shoes, diapers and more were collected. The Committee positioned boxes in various locations such as the front alcove, Middle and Upper School Office, and by Dean Chris Bielizna’s office. Eighth Grade Assistant Erin Ginsburg took a leading role in the drive outside of school with friends and at Parker.

Ginsburg got interested in helping out after reading how people were helping victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. “I actually saw a post on Instagram,” Ginsburg said, “and it talked about what people needed the most, and it was diapers and feminine products.” Ginsberg decided to organize an effort to get these products. “I had a huge stockpile of diapers,” Ginsburg said, “and I thought that would be perfect to donate to the victims.”

Ginsburg sought a community-wide effort at Parker. She sent an email around the school to make people aware of her drive by asking for donations and informing the community of the specifics of her project. In addition, she explored which organizations were in greatest need of items. Ginsburg is on an email list for The Honest Company. They reached out to her to let her know that The Texas Diaper Bank was the best place to donate. Located in San Antonio, Texas, the Bank aims “to address the diaper gap and its impact on individuals in crisis.” After the hurricanes, the Bank recognized a need for people affected by the hurricanes.

“It was all online, marketing and social media,” Ginsburg said, “and I thought about it from Instagram and researched companies online.”

Many people donated, and other teachers in the school decided to give a helping hand such as Ms. Gardner and Mr. Shaker. “I thought how difficult it would be to be displaced from your home,” Ginsburg said, “and that gave me the push to do it.”