CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — The smiles on the faces of Harrisburg Academy students were hard to miss Thursday morning as they presented a $2,500 check to disaster outreach and mission relief non-profit Mission Central.
"I was not really surprised when some of our students stepped forward and went 'we want to go help Ukraine' and I didn't have to go 'well then I'm going to help you do this,'" said Adrian Allen, head of school at Harrisburg Academy. "They knew how to do this and they set about it and as you can see they are pretty successful."
Allan says students are taught to take action, as knowledge can only do so much. The academy's program emphasizes service to the community, and students who showed up to present the check expressed their fulfillment.
"I'm also happy that I'm supporting Ukraine as well as my family and I'm just glad our whole community can do it just in general," said Alexandra Myerhoff, a junior at the Academy.
Governor Tom Wolf announced earlier this month, that schools are preparing to receive school-aged refugee students from Ukraine here in Commonwealth schools.
Some schools have already done so. Allan said the Academy is in the process of interviewing a student.
Allan hopes these efforts will help future students understand they are helping their families and neighbors in their native land.
He also points out students coming from Ukraine will benefit the school greatly as well.
"Yes, the school's giving something to this student, but we're going to get probably more by having that student attend our school," he said.
Directors for mission outreach and relief non-profit Mission Central say they were thrilled when students of the academy reached out to help and say aside from the donations, funds will be used to help with transportation.
"Items come into Mission Central, they go out to our partner," said Stephanie Titzel, communications director at Mission Central. "Our partner takes them by cargo van into Chicago, from Chicago they go into Poland, and then they take the green corridor down into Eastern Ukraine. Those funds will go a long way in helping us get from here into Ukraine."
Missions director and pastor for Bethany Slavic Church, Konstantin Reznik, echoes the same sentiment. His church community is continuing to increase their efforts in providing humanitarian aid which began in early March.
"We had thought initially we're just going to get our church to participate, maybe collect $50,000, and be able to help maybe 100 refugees to live in Poland for a month or so," said Reznik. "Since then, we have been able to collect around $800,000."
Reznik says the church's recent efforts have been able to provide meals to about 100,000 people, evacuate thousands, and provide housing and information on different housing options across Europe.
Organizations will continue to provide relief and are reminding those at home, every little bit counts.
"We've gotten a couple of notes from English volunteers who are working in Eastern Ukraine and Poland and they've told stories of soldiers who haven't eaten in 39 days, so, it's hugely life-changing," said Titzel.