Las Cruces Public Schools has launched the “Campus Kindness Drive.” The initiative challenges elementary, middle, and high schools to work collectively as a campus to help serve nonprofit organizations that work to provide extra support to those facing hardships in the community.
Each school in the district is working to collect either monetary donations or in-kind donations to distribute to a local non-profit organization chosen by the student body. Student leadership groups at each campus have already started collecting items and monetary donations to help serve the need in the community.
In addition to the “Campus Kindness Drive” at each school, Central Office is promoting “Kindness in the Community.” Since October, LCPS has been collecting blankets, coats, gloves, and other warm clothing as part of the “Spread the Warmth” cold weather drive. The idea is to model what we ask of our schools in order to unite efforts and multiply kindness in the community.
LCPS is asking for community support with donations to help students meet their goals. Each school will be collecting items to serve different needs. For example, Doña Ana Elementary School is collecting materials to design and distribute fleece blankets to keep families warm for the winter. Students at Conlee Elementary are creating pictures, poems, and letters of kindness to help brighten the holiday for patients in local nursing homes.
On Nov. 9, the district will host “High Schools’ Got Talent,” as part of the ‘Kindness in the Community” initiative. The event is free and open to the public. The evening will include performances from each high school band beginning at 5:30p.m. at Plaza de Las Cruces located at 100 N Main St, Las Cruces, NM 88001.
All six high schools will participate in the talent show with two talents representing their school. Students will be accepting monetary donations to support Karina Cano Perez, an Organ Mountain High School student who is in need of both a liver and kidney transplant. To learn more about Karina’s story and how you can help, please visit www.COTAforKarina.com
***
*To learn more about donation drives at the elementary and middle school level, please refer to the table below:
| School Name | Type of drive | Charitable Organizations | Campus Kindness Drive |
| Doña Ana Elementary School | In-kind donations | Jardin de los Niños | Collecting materials to design and distribute fleece blankets |
| Booker T. Washington | In-kind donations | Weed & Seed | Collecting/donating jackets and shoes for other students in the afterschool program |
| East Picacho Elementary | In-kind donations | NMSU Aggie Cupboard | Collecting non-perishable for the NMSU Aggie Cupboard |
| Alameda Elementary Community School | In-kind donations | Community of Hope and Assisted Living Centers | Working with Cruces Creatives to make scarves for those in need
Working with United Way to collect/donate hygiene bags
Writing greeting cards and caroling at assisted living centers
|
| Zia Middle School | Monetary donations | Four Paws and Wake Up Inc. | Pennies for Paws jar collection drive, competition by advisory class, recognize an organization of choice at our veteran's assembly |
| Picacho Middle | In-kind donations | Holy Cross Retreat Center- Refugees | Advisory classes will donate hygiene products to give to the refugees staying at the Holy Cross Retreat Center |
| Desert Hills Elementary | In-kind donations | El Caldito Soup Kitchen | Parents will donate a canned good for admission to our Fall Festival
Canned goods will be given to El Caldito Soup Kitchen. |
| Mesilla Park Community Elementary |
| Casa de Peregrinos-Hope for the Holidays | Casa Peregrinos is one our our Community Partners. We will be supporting their Hope for the Holidays food drive to bring in food for the Thanksgiving Holiday. |
| Sunrise Elementary | In-kind donations | Food Pantry for Sunrise Families in Need | Food Pantry donations will be collected through the month of October and first weeks of November
The donations will boxed up and distributed to families in need in our community. |
| Camino Real Middle School | Both | Toys for Tots/teens | I have connected with Toys for Tots and they are in need of toys for middle school/high school students. We have written a grant for $5,000 and must raise $2,500 of it in donations. We will provide toys for kids in need. |
| Hillrise Elementary | In-kind donations | Hillrise Food Pantry | Student council is working with community members on building a food pantry at Hillrise |
| Sonoma | Monetary donations | Cancer Warriors Las Cruces | Sonoma Elementary will collect donations for Cancer Warriors Las Cruces between October 17 and October 31 |
| MacArthur Elementary | In-kind donations | Casa de Peregrinos | Student council is collecting boxes of canned goods and other non-perishable items from every class |
| University Hills Elementary School | In-kind donations | University United Methodist Church Community Pantry | We will be collecting items to donate to the UUMC food and clothing pantry that supports our community |
| Tombaugh Elementary | Monetary donations | American Cancer Society | Coins for Cancer - We will hold a friendly class competition to collect coins for a school donation to the American Cancer Society |
| Mesa MS | Monetary donations | Jardin de los Niños-Adopt-A-Family 2023 | We will do a Penny Wars Drive between grade levels |
| Columbia Elementary School | In-kind donations | Mesilla Valley Animal Shelter | We will ask students to donate old blankets to give to the shelter for the animal cages |
| Mesilla Elementary | In-kind donations | Gospel Rescue Mission | We are going to ask students to bring in cans of food and non-perishable items |
| Loma Heights Elementary | Both | Local organization of pediatric cancer | Will be creating an awareness of the childhood cancer in ways to help along with collecting monetary donations from staff and students |
| Organ Mountain High School | Monetary donations | COTAforKarina.com | Organ Mountain HS student Karina Cano-Perez needs a life-saving liver and kidney transplant. COTA does not charge the transplant family, or patient, for its services. 100% of the funds raised in honor of COTA patients assist with transplant-related expenses |
| Conlee | In-kind donations | Casa Del Sol Center (nursing home) | Our students will be creating (according to grade level) pictures, poems, letters, etc. of kindness to brighten up patients at local nursing homes |
| Central Elementary | In-kind donations | Jardin de Los Ninos
| Student Council will collect toiletries, warm clothing, and blankets to help families during the winter.
|
| Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy | Monetary donations | Four Paws and a Wake Up, Inc. | Our students have organized a Penny War. The War is between our 5 Houses. The House that raises the most money (in silver coins or cash) wins! The money will be donated to Four Paws to support their mission: To help U.S. Veterans gain independence. |
| Sierra Middle School | Monetary and In-kind donations | Unified Sports of NM | Students will be participating in a banner signing and activity to gain knowledge about the inclusion of all students. Student will volunteer time to spend with students in our Developmental Skills Classroom throughout the campus. |
| Hermosa Heights | In-kind donations | Migrant Program | Our student council will be hosting a canned food drive to donate to the Migrant program |