Rotaract students chip in for Quigley House
ORANGE PARK –Diana Pizarro said her heart grew two sizes after witnessing the outpouring of support for a donation drive the club recently coordinated for Quigley House, Clay County’s shelter for victims of domestic violence. Empty boxes placed throughout the St. Johns River State College campus overflowed with items such as clothing, board games, shoes, toys, games and books that can be used by children and adults who take refuge at the shelter. When items were still pouring in after the first two weeks of the drive, club members extended the drive for an extra week. “We definitely got more clothing than we ever thought we would,” said Pizzaro, Rotaract president and SJR student. The clothing items also included professional attire that can be worn on job interviews, Pizzaro said. And Pizzaro was equally as thrilled about the various board games that were received, as this provides a fun opportunity for group bonding at the Quigley House. Students are shown here with Rotaract District Governor Marshall Butler and Rotarian Mike Kloehn from the Rotary Club of Orange Park Sunrise.


Students donates supplies to Waste Not Want Not
ORANGE PARK – Middle School Service Club members at St. Johns Country Day School proved the classic idiom, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ on Oct. 27. Students donated approximately 700 gently-used paper shopping bags to the food rescue nonprofit Waste Not Want Not of Orange Park. Without the donated bags, the organization would have to use donated funds to buy bags or other receptacles therefore reducing its budget that would normally be used to purchase food or other needs. Each donated bag helps provide several meals to a family in need. The Middle School Service Club took on the effort last year and collected more than 1,000 bags. This year, the club is on track to break its first-year record. Waste Not Want Not “rescues” food daily from bakeries, grocery stores, restaurants and other outlets across the First Coast and distributes it to families who face food insecurity or are homeless in Clay County. Students presented the bags to Sandra Staudt-Killea, Waste Not Want Not executive director, at a morning flag-raising ceremony.