A new Oxford Middle School support group is taking a proactive approach to helping students with family members away at war: they are making and selling handmade patriotic bracelets.
The OMS Military Family Support Group was organized for students with family members who have been deployed or are soon to be deployed. The group currently has 10 members and is continually growing.
“The purpose of this group is to understand what families are going through during this time of war,” said middle school counselor and group leader Sarah Romero. “And we want to help them feel like they’re doing something.”
With this thought in mind, the students decided to raise money in aid of those abroad. They set their goal at $1,000 and are making at least 450 bracelets.
“I’m glad that we can do this ourselves instead of other people doing it for us,” said sixth grader Gabrielle Stadnick. “It wouldn’t mean as much if someone did this for us.”
The bracelets are made with red, white or blue leather, and contain red, white and blue beads. The students decided to add yellow beads as a remembrance that everyone wants their friends and family to come home safely.
“I think this is a great experience to support our nation,” said sixth grader Joey DeBaene.
“We’re doing a little hard work for the people who are doing so much for us at the war,” said sixth grader Katy Crippen.
“We’re not doing a lot,” agreed Stadnick, “but we want to help out as much as we can.”
The money raised will be given to the Armed Forces Emergency Services Program, which is a part of the Southeast Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross. The program is designed to help military families here and abroad.
Romero said that at least some of the money raised by the OMS support group will go to pay for the shipping of care packages.
“It’s a great experience to be helping military families,” said sixth grader Sarah Potter.
The bracelets will be on sale for $2 each at the middle school in the mornings and during lunch for the rest of the week.