Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive

It has been a Parsley tradition for our Student Council to sponsor the Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive. To get out the word and ensure a successful project, they made and displayed posters around the school and also talked with each classroom.

When the Food Bank truck came, they delivered to the truck the bags of food that had lined the halls of Parsley for a couple weeks. This year, Parsley families generously donated 1,636 pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Special eZ Tees Gown Brightens Hospital Stay

Rather suddenly, our 16 month old daughter was admitted to NHRMC last week for a 3 day hospital stay. When we got into her room we were handed a tied-dyed tshirt/hospital gown for her from your community service efforts. It really was special and brightened a not so bright moment at the hospital. She had a smile on her face most of her stay and we like to think it was partially because she was so comfy in her cheery t shirt.


We were also so touched by the beautiful hand written get well note that was attached to the tee signed by "Alex."


Thank you again for your great idea of these hospital ts and thanks to your school for making them for the kids at NHRMC.

Christine and Josh Challeen

E-Z Tees Delivered to Children at NHRMC

Jordan Pipkin and the E-Z Tee volunteers worked for months converting the tie-died t-shirts into hospital gowns. On October 31, 2011, 350 of the 604 t-shirts were presented to the NHRMC in the children's wing. Each t-shirt was individually wrapped and decorated with a card made by a Parsley student. Mrs. Mayo and Jordan presented shirts to children currently in the hospital.

The rest of the t-shirts will be sent to the hospitals in Chapel Hill and Ohio where Zack received care.

WWAY TV3 covered this event. You can read the story here.

Tie Dyeing Shirts in Memory of Parsley Students

This year's Community Service Project was inspired by Parsley student Zach Mayo who spent much of the last year in and out of hospitals.  Realizing that wearing hospital gowns day after day is not fun for any child, former Parsley student, Jordan Pipkin, wanted to create a non-profit organization that would brighten the hospital stays for children by providing t-shirt hospital-style gowns.  With help from her mom, Shannon Pipkin, they were able to make this dream come true. 

Parsley chose to be a part of this special project by tie dyeing t-shirts.  Parsley students donated t-shirts in sizes from child small through adult sizes.  More than 600 t-shirts were tie dyed by all students and many staff members.  

For an entire week during art class, Art teacher, Mrs. Sload led the students through the tie dying process.  She demonstrated a variety of ways to prepare the shirts for dyeing. 

The students, Kindergarten through 5th grade, each took a shirt and folded, twisted, tied, or crumpled their shirts and secured them with multiple rubber bands. 



The students had the option of dipping their shirts into one of three sets of colors.  Mrs. Sload showed the students how to do this as well and then it was up to the students to dye their shirts.  Dipping the shirts in each color for a few seconds, the process was now complete.

After sitting for twenty four hours, the shirts were unwrapped and hung to dry before being washed.  The end results, each one unique, created beautiful designs and patterns.

Our t-shirts will be transformed into hospital garments by e-Z Tee volunteers who will cut open the back of each shirt and sew on ties.  These special shirts will then be distributed to children who are sick in the hospital here in Wilmington, in Chapel Hill and in Cincinnati, where Zack was treated for several months. Accompanying each shirt is a 'Get Well' card made by a Parsley student.

 

This project could not have been successful without help from many parent volunteers who not only assisted students during art class but also helped behind the scenes.

Our participation in helping make these e-Z Tees is our way of honoring and remembering Zack and another former Parsley student, Sergio Conseco-Martinez.   Though no longer with us, we carry their memories in our hearts.

Special Sack Lunches for Habitat for Humanity Volunteers

Students in Mrs. Postemski's 3rd grade classes have had a heart for community service for many years.  Over the years they have performed service in a variety of ways, but one project they have participated in for several years has been to make sandwiches for the volunteers working with Habitat for Humanity.

Students donate the fixings for the bag lunches and then each help to prepare a sandwich.  This year's lunches included a sandwich, an apple, and cookies.  The students also decorated the bags.  Though the lunches are much appreciated, it is the handwritten letters to each volunteer that are most cherished.