DISASTER DRIVE

WCBI's Stephen Pimpo talked to students at MSU's Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program who are partnering up with a local church to send supplies to hurricane victims.

The students are also doing their part to help people in need.

This semester, a group of msu students partnered with a local church to send supplies to families and individuals affected by disasters.

Wcbi news reporter stephen pimpo talked to those students and joins us in studio with the story.

Video in monitor every year...msu's mississippi excellence in teaching program participates in a community service project.

With limitted options due to covid- 19...students found the opportunity to lend a hand to those recovering from this seasons hurricanes...learni ng how being a good teacher goes beyond the classroom.

"there's other people in need so there's absolutley no reason i could come up with to not help the people that need it."

Millions of people on the gulf coast are still recovering from the billions of dollars worth of damage left by hurricane laura and hurricane delta even as hurrican zeta closes in.

It's a feeling that mississippi state senior emily hudgens knows herself, growing up with family on the mississippi gulf coast.

"i was only in kindergarden when hurricane katrina hit but i remember the feelings and the emotions of my family back home."

That's why emily and her classmates in msu's mississippi excellence in teaching program partnered with starkville community church this year to collect donations for the people of lake charles louisiana.

"we all jumped at the chance to be able to help.

We were just kind of sitting and waiting and trying to figure out what we could do."

Su: the students contributed close to $15 hundred dollars worth of toiletries, diapers and other items to a supply drop large enough to help hundreds of households across louisiana.

The education students have also collected supplies specifically for the lake charles area schools, where 97 percent of schools in the district sustained damage.

"their schools had been completely flooded, all of their supplies were molded and had to be thrown out and so that really hit home personally as an education student."

Sophmore ethan morris says it was rewarding just working together towards a common goal.

"i like getting to see other people around me, classmates and peers that share the same values as me.

There's people in need, they deserve help and we can give it to them."

Emily says the undertaking re- affirms the importance of community and making a change outside of a classroom.

"we know we can't change the world in a day but if we can help a small corner and help those people, we know that they are greatful and that we can have an impact on that area."

Those msu students will continue collecting donations through the month of october.

For information on how to donate, you can go to our website...wcbi.com