Snow Hill Primary students aid animals
Because students at Snow Hill Primary School enjoy reading about Pete the Cat, a character in the books of Eric Litwin, Stephanie White, teacher/librarian at the school, found a way to teach a seasonal lesson about the importance of giving and to enlist students in a community project.
In the book “Pete the Cat Saves Christmas,” Santa becomes ill on Christmas Eve and needs help in delivering the presents to all the good boys and girls. Santa calls Pete the Cat and asks for help to keep Christmas from being canceled. Pete agrees to help and replies, “Although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I’ll give it my all.”
Since the main character of the book was a cat, White asked students to help the dogs and cats who do not have a home at the Greene County Animal Shelter.
Students were asked to bring in donations during the month of December. In total, students and families donated: 34 cans of cat food, 33 bags of dog and cat food, 36 pet toys, 35 boxes of pet treats, 20 blankets and towels, 5 feeding dishes and a dog bed. One student also gave his dime to help the animals.
As she was packing up the donations, White said, “One parent said that he asked his daughter to chose between getting her picture made with Santa or buying something for the animal shelter. She chose to buy something for the animals. It was definitely a heart-warming project that students will remember.”
Agency educates public on drugs
Shannon Rouse Ruiz was a recent guest speaker at the Kinston Evening Rotary Club. Ruiz represents the P.E.A.C.E. Foundation in Lenoir County — Prescription Education Abuse Counseling Empowerment.
The P.E.A.C.E. Foundation’s goal is to educate the public about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and to empower the public with the knowledge to recognize and stop abuse before it starts.
Every 19 minutes, someone dies from a drug overdose, 65 percent of which are from a prescription. Twenty-five hundred teens try a prescription drug for the first time every day. Unused prescription drugs can be disposed of in a drop-off box at the Kinston Department of Public Safety. There is a program to help prevent over-prescription of addictive drugs in Lenoir County, with three out of 164 doctors participating. For more information, call 252-268-3483.
Kinston Evening Rotary meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at the House of Wang.