HOUSTON GROUP DONATES 200-PLUS WATER CASES TO WHITTEN MIDDLE SCHOOL
It was an all treats and no tricks Halloween Day at Jackson’s Whitten Middle School when a trailer laden with over 200 cases of water showed up from Houston, Mississippi.
The effort, coordinated by the Mississippi Association of Educators, was the brainchild of the owners of GSM Transport, a trucking company out of Houston. Not only did they bring water, they also presented school Principal Paula Epps with a check for $923.00.
“Every bit of this will go to help our students,” Ms. Epps said. “I know it’s cliché but I truly believe in educating the whole student. This clean water will definitely benefit our students.”
Like everybody else, I had heard on the news there was a water crisis in Jackson,” Brittney Fields, co-owner of GSM Transport, said. “I was like, you know what, this is something that everybody should be a part of.”
“The Lord just laid it on my heart. Do this. Get the people together in Houston, Mississippi. Ask them to donate whatever … and help out the people who need it,” Ms Fields said.
Fields then reached out to long-time friend Mississippi Association of Educators President Erica Jones, also a Houston native, and asked for guidance on how best to achieve her goal of helping. Jones recommended a delivery to Whitten Middle School.
“I know that Whitten is a community-oriented school and that they would make sure the water distribution would benefit not only the students and staff but also community members who needed help,” Ms Jones said. “I am so proud that someone from my hometown was able to make such an important contribution.”
The company provided fuel and transport costs for the delivery and even weathered a tire blow-out enroute, but nothing was going to stop them on their mission.
“This is a great opportunity for us to distribute safe water for Jackson,” said George Stewart, Jackson Association of Educators president. “It’s an awesome day, an awesome event to make sure our students have safe water here in Jackson.”
Water cases were unloaded by students who pitched in to help under the expert direction of Ms Kimberli Jackson, Whitten’s parent organizer.
“Today it’s not me, but tomorrow it could be me,” Ms Fields said. “I would like for someone to help me or somebody else who is in need.”
