NHS Raises Funds for Hope Beyond Bridges

When NHS students, Ellen Watt and Avery Fleenor heard about Hope Beyond Bridges and the work they were doing to minister to people who are homeless, they had to do something.

Ellen and Avery wanted to give back to the community and they had the brilliant idea to ask Ms. Shilling if this was a cause NHS could support. She gave them the green light to run with their idea of an Easter egg hunt fundraiser and the girls spearheaded the entire project. NHS sent an email to lower school families asking if anyone would be interested in a paid service to have pre-filled Easter eggs planted around their yard for an egg hunt and several families responded. 

NJHS partnered with NHS on the project by filling all of the eggs. The high school students were in charge of driving to the houses and hiding the eggs. Ellen and Avery split everyone into groups, mapped out all of the houses, and created routes for each car, serving 3-4 houses each.

The project had several challenges and taught the students how to communicate with parents, advertise the event, prepare materials, and organize the egg delivery. In reflecting on the fundraiser, Avery said, “Overall it taught us both a lot about leadership and overcoming problems. In some moments it felt like we had no idea what to do, but with the help of Mrs. Shilling we were able to overcome our obstacles. While leading the project was stressful at times, it was extremely rewarding serving others.”

In total, NHS raised $2066 for Hope Beyond Bridges. The money raised will help provide meals and hygiene kits for people who are homeless, living under the highway bridges in Houston.