Second grade students at Shaker Elementary learned a powerful lesson in generosity this holiday season. Over the past several weeks, students were encouraged to donate items to support dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.

On the day before holiday break, students gathered the donations from beneath a special giving tree and loaded an SUV with several boxes filled with toys, treats, food, leashes, collars, bedding, blankets, crates, and cleaning supplies.

“They are so excited each day to place new items under the tree,” said second grade teacher Stephanie Cobart. “This has allowed our students to demonstrate acts of kindness and giving to the community.”

To make the project even more personal, students decorated paw print ornaments to hang on the tree and created additional ornaments by coloring pictures of animals currently available for adoption at the humane society. These creative touches helped students form connections with the animals they were helping and added an extra layer of meaning to the donation drive.

The effort, organized by Cobart and Sheri Harriman, brought the entire second-grade team together with a shared goal of helping animals in need while giving students a meaningful way to give back to their community.