Alexis Etheridge, a sophomore at High School South, is the leader of Just Think, a group of students with a mission to help people in need and make a positive difference in the lives of others. The group was founded as an organization solely committed to enhancing the quality of life for children and their families in the greater West Windsor area that may be experiencing financial hardship. “Just Think seeks to encourage civic responsibility and community involvement, not only in our community but the world at large,” says Etheridge.
Projects done to date include a canned food drive in conjunction with the Crisis Ministry in Trenton. The group collected close to 700 canned and dry food items and a truck was sent to pick up donations.
A personal hygiene fundraiser and swim party last May raised $800 along with personal hygiene products to donate to the Crisis Ministry in Trenton. Another swim party was held in October to collect gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, clothes, and shoes. The donations were given to Carla Royster, the assistant principal at South, for the Daily Bread Food Bank.
A holiday toy drive in December brought in bikes, scooters, stuffed animals, games, books, and toys to help more than 125 families. The group also adopted two families — one family of six lost everything in a house fire and the second family included five children whose parents are ill.
Projects in the works include another coat drive focusing on needy West Windsor and Plainsboro residents. A canned food drive to assist the Crisis Ministry with its loss from a recent fire is scheduled for February. A second personal hygiene fundraiser is planned for April and May. The group is also collecting books to help establish a library in Belize and set up an ongoing connection to improve literacy.
The teens are considering adopting a family in the Congo to supply them with an education. A spring dinner dance is planned to help raise funds for the group to help support its activities. The group is planning an annual competition between North and South high schools and Grover and Community middle schools to collect food over to stock area food pantries. A trophy will be kept in the winning school until the following year.
Current members in the group also includes High School South students Anais D’Ottavio, Tony Jenkins, Abby Ghrihalva, and Anya Rizzo-Wittlan, all sophomores; and Tahliah D’Ottavio, a junior.
High School North students include juniors Cheyenne Davis and Gabby Orsino. Grover Middle School students include eighth graders Willie Etheridge and Koran Goldstein. Community Middle School students include Winston Delk, eighth grade, and Phyllis Delk, sixth grade. The advisers for Just Think are the parents. “We are always looking for donations from our community members to help with our fundraising efforts,” says Alexis Etheridge.
