Juniors Jen Stacy and Lindsay Gottschalk are drawing inspiration from their passion for their profession to help the youngest victims of hurricane Katrina.

The two friends who are majoring in Early Childhood Education began talking about how they could help the children effected by Katrina shortly after the hurricane hit.

“With us being teachers it [helping the kids] is something we are interested in,” said Gottschalk.

They decided that since donations typically consist of food and clothing, they would collect children’s books and school supplies.

The girls set up boxes in various locations on campus where students and staff are encouraged to drop off children’s books, school supplies such as pens, paper, makers and back packs. Beside the boxes are envelopes where monetary donations can be made.

Donations collected will be given to the Biloxi Public School District. They decided to donate to this particular district because Gottchalk’s boyfriend who is in the Navy is stationed close to Biloxi and she is familiar with the area.

Biloxi schools Director of Administrative Services Tim Havard, said that they are happy to receive donations. He said that they have already receive a large amount of donations from people all over the nation.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the U.S.,” he said. Donations coming into Biloxi are being organized by two teachers and are being stored in a warehouse. Havard said that the district is most in need of bottled water because the public water supply hasn’t been cleared for drinking. He said school supplies are next on the list because so many of the children lost their supplies along with their homes.

Biloxi students started back to school on Monday, but with only nine of their 11 schools open. Two of the schools were destroyed in the hurricane. Havard said that enrollment on Monday was half of what it was before the storm. This is due to the great amount of structural damage the storm caused. So many houses were destroyed that many students fled with their families out of Biloxi to live with family across the country.

“One side of our city lost 80 percent of its structures,” said Havard.

Stacy and Gottschalk have plans to drive to Biloxi over fall break to drop off the supplies that they collect. While they said they have questioned how safe it is to enter a hurricane disaster area, they said that they aren’t worried about it.

“Our main concern is getting enough supplies to make a difference at the school,” said Stacy.

The two friends are focused on collecting as much as they can and are drawing resources outside of campus for help. They are asking local Bowling Green businesses and friends, family and businesses from their home towns for help.

Both girls’ families have supported and became involved in their effort. Gottechalk’s father is co-owner of a company that will be making a donation. Stacy’s mother is a teacher in her hometown and Stacy said she is pulling strings there to get used books. Both Stacy’s and Gottchalk’s mothers will be accompanying them on their drive to Biloxi.

Even though Katrina struck weeks ago the girls see the need for the nation to continue to donate and support the affected areas.

“It doesn’t mean that now that everyone is cleaning up that we should say ‘okay we donated now we don’t care anymore,'” said Gottschalk.

Donation boxes are located in the reading center on the fifth floor of the Education Building and in 365 of the Education Building, in the Honors Office in Harshman 126 and in the Phi Mu house.

Donations are currently being excepted from now until Thursday, Oct. 6. Stacy is hopeful that she will see the boxes fill up.

“I think it’s really good to donate to show how one school cares for another,” she said. “How Ohio cares for other parts of the nation.”

For more information contact Jen Stacy at 513-543-0779 or Lindsay Gottechalk at 419-305-1323 or visit the Biloxi Public School District Web site at www.biloxischools.net