MINNEAPOLIS — Change to create change.
"I feel very happy donating for the kids in Africa," said Kelsey, a student at St. John Paul II Catholic School in Minneapolis.
The students are making a difference in the lives of other students in need of school supplies more than 6,000 miles away.
"Helping pay for their future gives me some reassurance that they can make it in life — like how we can make it in life," said student Arsama. "The school is raising money for kids in Ghana to get copybooks, notebooks for them to write down for their school year."
Tricia Menzhuber, the school's principal, is also a strong advocate for the program.
"This is an example of one of the copybooks and we talk to our students a lot about the fact that we have books and notebooks and Chromebooks and computers, but in Africa, they have one book," Menzhuber said.
The program gives the kids in Ghana additional resources to seek a more robust education.
"Each copybook has its own specialty, like math, reading, spelling, you know," said student Joseph.
But it's more than just a service project — Coins for Copybooks in a lesson in humanity.
"'Cause we're so fortunate and these kids aren't," said Arsama. "If spending on ourselves kind of seems selfish... when we know that there's kids in Africa without food, without school, without notebooks, so helping them would make us a greater person."
Menzhuber agrees.
"We want our children to build that character and that virtue that there is more to life beyond our walls," she said.
And every bit of loose change can lead to something greater in Ghana.
"You're going to change someone else's life without even kind of knowing it," Arsama said.
Along with St. John Paul II Catholic School, Ascension, St. Peter Claver and St. Pascal Regional are also participating in Coins for Copybooks.
Last year, the four schools raised nearly $4,000.
Do you know someone making a difference, or is there a business or nonprofit going above and beyond to help others? Send us your ideas for stories of "Communities that KARE" in the form below:
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