By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
Kathy Flores is a kindergarten teacher at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School. As important as that role is, Flores is much more than that.
At last year’s Mountain Communities Awards banquet – put on by the Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary Club – Flores was honored by the Rim of the World Unified School District for spearheading three community service events at her school.
In describing her efforts, the district wrote that “she has her students complete one service project per trimester, trying to create compassionate students, impacting them at a young age. She then works on transitioning them into responsible adults, teaching them to give back to their community.”
For the first of the three projects, Flores collects individually wrapped snacks and toiletries for those serving in the military. Some of the suggested items include beef jerky, candy, gum, Goldfish, protein bars, toothbrushes and toothpaste, lotions, instant coffee packets, deodorant, new socks and feminine products.
Flores and her students count, sort and pack boxes which they then give to the Rim Blue Star Moms.
“The year before COVID,” Flores said, “we collected over 8,000 items.”
The Rim Blue Star Moms then prepare care packages for Rim graduates serving in the military.
For the second project, they collect new Play-Doh, which is delivered to the philanthropic office at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. This project, Flores noted, is held in memory of Siena Smith, a former LAE student who passed away in March 2017.
And for the third project, Flores and her students gather new items that benefit animals – canned food, toys, balls, crates, baby gates, beds. Flores delivers those to Karin Holzer, president of the Mountains’ Humane Society.
Flores and her students are currently collecting Play-Doh for young patients. It can be dropped off at LAE or ordered on Amazon and delivered directly to her at the school: Kathy Flores, 1300 Golden Rule Lane, Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352. The deadline for donations is April 9.
“Any help would be appreciated and I’d be grateful,” Flores said.
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