What started as an idea shortly after Thanksgiving quickly turned into a large room full of gift items that Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy students could purchase using “BOCES Bucks” they earned for attendance, participation and positive behavior.
Students were able to shop at the store on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15, using their school rewards to buy items for themselves and their immediate family members.
Kearah Davis, a Pathways Academy senior from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, was one of the students who put the most effort into organizing the store, and she was happy with how everything turned out.
“It makes me feel good to see the store and see the kids get gifts for family and themselves,” Davis said.
The Herkimer BOCES Pathways Academy Student Council sponsored the “Stuff the Store” initiative in collaboration with the Pathways Academy Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and received support from other students, staff and the community.
The Herkimer BOCES Pathways Academy focuses on students who have had a difficult time in a traditional school structure or have to catch up on credits but have the ability to get a high school diploma. Pathways Academy classes are project-driven and infuse career and technical education.
The PBIS program includes various aspects including awards ceremonies and students earning “BOCES Bucks” for positive behavior that they can use on reward days to purchase items or experiences.
The Student Council advisers, teaching assistant Cheri Evangelista and art teacher Dina DeSarro, worked on the store with Pathways Academy teacher Erica Haver, who is a team leader for the PBIS program at Pathways. Joining Davis as the main students involved with the effort were Student Council President Aiden Johnston, a senior from Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, and Student Council Treasurer Adrianna Burris, a junior from Herkimer Central School District.
“These kids worked their tails off to get it all ready,” Evangelista said.
The idea was to provide something along the lines of Stuff the Bus, except make it for students 13 and older who aren’t the target of Stuff the Bus and other supportive community programs. Specifically, the idea was to make the gifts available to the Pathways Academy students – including some students who might not otherwise be able to give or receive gifts during the holidays – and the project was dubbed “Stuff the Store.”
“Everyone gets something out of this,” Evangelista said. “They’re going to feel good to be able to bring something home for themselves and their family.”
More than 100 students shopped at the store. Senior students also are gift wrapping all of the purchases before they are sent home. Some classes also helped out by removing the barcodes from items.
Two local businesses that made a huge impact were Franco’s in Ilion through having a food special and raising money to buy items for the store and Mohawk Valley Markdown through putting out a collection bin. Staff and others in the community also were very supportive, organizers said.
“They all worked together to make this possible,” Evangelista said.
DeSarro said she expected to maybe collect a couple of tables full of items for the store, but they instead filled about a dozen tables with hundreds of items spread throughout a large room. Items included toys, camping chairs, tools, gift cards, speakers, electronics, clothing, boots, self-care items, books, blankets and much more.
“We kept asking students to help bring more tables in,” DeSarro said. “We are overwhelmed with the generosity of everybody.”
Davis, Johnston and Burris said they were thankful for the support of everyone involved.
Johnston said he was particularly impressed with the large variety of items that were donated.
“The community has come together for this,” Johnston said. “It makes me feel good to be able to give to people who might not otherwise get what they need or want.”
Davis and Burris said they felt the same way, and as the students put in some of the final preparations for the store, they added that they were looking forward to shopping as well.
“I’m excited for it – to be able to get something for my family instead of just them getting stuff for me all the time,” Davis said.
The whole thing turned out better than expected, Evangelista and DeSarro said.
“We didn’t know how big it was going to be. The students should all go home with something really nice for family members and themselves,” Evangelista said. “We hope to do it every year and that it continues to grow.”
The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy held a “Stuff the Store” event for students on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15. Students were able to use “BOCES Bucks” they received as rewards for positive behavior to purchase items for themselves and gifts for immediate family members. Some of the organizers are pictured, from left: Pathways Academy junior Adrianna Burris (Herkimer Central School District), Pathways Academy senior Kearah Davis (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District), Pathways Academy senior Aiden Johnston (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District) and Pathways Academy teaching assistant Cheri Evangelista, a co-adviser of the Student Council.
The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy held a “Stuff the Store” event for students on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15. Students were able to use “BOCES Bucks” they received as rewards for positive behavior to purchase items for themselves and gifts for immediate family members. Some of the organizers are pictured, from left: Pathways Academy art teacher and Student Council co-adviser Dina DeSarro, Pathways Academy senior Kearah Davis (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District), Pathways Academy junior Adrianna Burris (Herkimer Central School District), Pathways Academy senior Aiden Johnston (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District) and Pathways Academy teaching assistant and Student Council co-adviser Cheri Evangelista.
The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy held a “Stuff the Store” event for students on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15. Students were able to use “BOCES Bucks” they received as rewards for positive behavior to purchase items for themselves and gifts for immediate family members. Some of the organizers are pictured, from left: Pathways Academy senior Kearah Davis (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District), Pathways Academy junior Adrianna Burris (Herkimer Central School District), Pathways Academy senior Aiden Johnston (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District) and Pathways Academy teaching assistant Cheri Evangelista, a co-adviser of the Student Council.
The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Pathways Academy held a “Stuff the Store” event for students on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15. Students were able to use “BOCES Bucks” they received as rewards for positive behavior to purchase items for themselves and gifts for immediate family members. Some of the organizers are pictured, from left: Pathways Academy senior Kearah Davis (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District), Pathways Academy junior Adrianna Burris (Herkimer Central School District) and Pathways Academy senior Aiden Johnston (Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District).