Local Amazon warehouse partnering with Jefferson Elementary
JOPLIN, Mo. – Local Amazon warehouse staff members have partnered with Jefferson Elementary to help provide a merry Christmas for the school’s families in need this holiday season.
For more than 10 years, Jefferson has hosted an annual Penny Wars event to support Christmas needs. Classes were challenged to drop pennies and dollar bills into buckets to earn positive points toward their class total; silver coins (nickels, dimes, quarters, etc.) were placed in rival class buckets to subtract points.
After four weeks of collection, the class with the highest positive score won a pizza party.
This year, Amazon partners heard about the Penny Wars, said Jefferson Principal Dr. Jason Weaver, and offered to donate $2,000 toward the final total.
“For the past couple of years, for perspective, we have raised between $1,500 and $1,700 each year,” said Dr. Weaver. “So we knew Amazon’s donation would more than double what we were able to do for Jefferson families in need.”
Staff at Amazon’s Joplin warehouse learned about the opportunity thanks to a relationship fostered on Jefferson’s Site Council.
“Most of our campuses host Site Council meetings in order to form relationships with community members interested in joining hands to support that school’s needs,” said Joplin Schools
Director of Communications Sarah Coyne. “Site Councils are a fantastic way for our neighbors to have a presence in the schools, and to show the kids and staff that they’re supported by a loving, enthusiastic community.”
In the end, this year’s Penny Wars at Jefferson raised just under $3,000 even before Amazon’s
generous donation.
Families enrolled in the program visited a store with a Jefferson staff member, shopped within a budget, and took gifts home to wrap for their students. Families being specifically helped through Amazon’s donation shopped using a budgeted Amazon Wishlist; pre-wrapped gifts were sent to these families ready to be put under the tree for Christmas.
Jefferson teacher Monica Bay helps organize the annual Penny Wars and subsequent Christmas help.
“This event brings out such great competition among our staff and students because of the impact it has on our Jefferson families,” said Bay. “Every cent dropped in our buckets brings joy to a kiddo in our building. With Amazon joining us on this journey, we will be able to reach a record number of families this holiday season, and that’s an amazing gift to our building!”