By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Thanks to a Brandywine Elementary School sixth grade student, winter has become a much warmer season for some people who are homeless.
In October, Alli Smrek had an idea – a great one at that.
"I was laying in bed one night thinking about Christmas and how excited I was because it was coming really fast. But I also thought about all the people who wouldn't be getting anything for Christmas and I knew I wanted to do something," she explained.
Smrek told her mother about her idea and she thought it was great.
"She told me about the Center for the Homeless and how they always needed items over there. I talked to my teacher and the school principal, Mr. (Tim) Bagby and asked if I could get the school involved and they said it was a great idea," Smrek said.
With the help of hundreds of students behind her, Smrek began doing research on the Internet about the Center, located in South Bend, Ind.
She looked up the immediate needs list, printed it out and typed letters for students at her school, explaining to them what her goal was and how they could help.
"So far, everything has gone very well. The kids have been bringing in so many items. We have only been doing this for one month and so far my mom and I have made three trips to the Center and the mini van was packed full every time," she said.
Smrek explained that some of the items have included clothing for people of all ages, baby items, such as diapers and wipes, food and much, much more.
She even spoke of her experiences at the Center and the people she saw.
"There was one guy who was checking in as we were dropping things off and we saw a mom carrying a baby. This time of year they don't turn anyone down because of the cold. I don't know how many people are there, but I know it's a lot and I feel very good that our school can help," she said.
While Smrek came up with the original idea, she admitted she does not want all of the credit for the project.
"I am so proud of the students. This was an entire school effort and everyone brought in so much stuff. Whichever class brings in the most items will be awarded a pizza party, so I think that helped to get more people involved," she said.
The final count took place at the end of the day Wednesday and tallied more than 1,000 items.