Turning Compassion Into Action: How Two High School Students Are Helping Their Classmates
High school should be about studying coursework, building friendships, and preparing for the future. Students have enough to navigate without worrying about where they’re getting their next meal from or if they will have clean clothes to wear to school the next day.
Elizabeth Guillotte of Hill, New Hampshire and Richard “Ricky” Mazur of Franklin, New Hampshire noticed some of their classmates wearing the same clothing to school as the day before and they learned others were eating their only meal of the day in the school cafeteria. So when the Franklin High School FIRST robotics team they are a part of sat down to discuss how they could give back to the community, they knew how they could make a difference.
The students decided to revamp the makeshift thrift shop at their school, “Karma Korner.” They stocked the center with essentials like toothbrushes, clothing, and cereal that classmates could access anonymously and for free.
Elizabeth and Ricky also sent 60 letters asking their community to pitch in. They garnered a big donation from the local bank and received washers and dryers at no cost to the school, so that students without access at home could do their laundry at school. They also teamed up with Twin Rivers Food Pantry to secure a grant providing a food backpack program and received a donation of duffel bags from the Franklin Fire Department to hold toiletries.
The compassion and determination of Elizabeth and Ricky inspired their whole community to take action. The empathy of Granite Staters never fails to amaze me — when we see a need in our community, we come together to ensure that need is met. Elizabeth Guillotte and Richard “Ricky” Mazur have done just that, which is why I’m honored to recognize them as May’s Granite Staters of the Month.
