After hearing of recent devastation from massive storms in Kankakee County last week, a group of Southland school districts and other leaders turned their concern into action.
Southland College Prep Charter High School, Rich Township District 227, Matteson districts 159 and 162, Park Forest-Chicago Heights District 163 and Rich Township pooled resources March 13 and coordinated donations of food, water and clothing for Kankakee.
District 227 Superintendent Johnnie Thomas said after hearing about the tornado and hail that damaged nearly 500 structures and killed two people in northwest Indiana, he called Kankakee District 111 Superintendent Teresa Lance, whose Kankakee High School was damage.
“You could hear her voice was heavy,” Thomas said. “Toward the end of our conversation, I asked her, is there anything you need? And she said I need about 10, 10 or 11 cases of water.”
Thomas said he knew then that Rich 227 would collaborate with other school districts that meet regularly to provide additional resources for all of their students.
“We think we get more done when we’re together,” Thomas said.
Blondean Davis, superintendent of Southland College Prep and District 162, said she also spoke with Lance in the aftermath of the storm and came to the same conclusion. Her districts asked families to bring in nonperishable items and boxed up winter clothing, pillows, sheets and other goods they had saved for their students.
Within a day, the schools had several trucks and two buses full of student volunteers and staff ready to help those affected in Kankakee. They included Southland College Prep’s Kappa League, a leadership and service program sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and about 40 Rich Township District 227 students and some from other districts.
Davis said she noticed the energy of the young men from Southland College Prep subdue as they noticed the damage around them.
“It’s one thing to see it on TV, but it’s different to see houses reduced to rubble,” Davis said. “It was moving for the children — they understood why they were there.”
Southland College Prep freshman J’Than Phillips said the trip was especially meaningful to him, as his extended family lives in Kankakee and experienced the storm firsthand.
“I know my family was like really happy that they could get something,” Phillips said. “That also made me really happy because I saw the impact and how it actually turned out.”
The 15-year-old said he was also proud to see so many other students go out of their way to assist others.
“Even though this generation is kind of messed up, there’s still people out there willing to help when they see people in need,” he said.
Rich Township High School sophomore Napoleon Williams, 15, who volunteered to help transport and unpack goods, said if he was in a similar situation, he’d want others to help in a similar way.
“Seeing where I’m from, how I was raised and seeing my mom help people and have a real passion for helping people, that helped me want to help people,” Williams said. “As soon as I heard it, I just wanted to do it immediately, just helping people, giving back — it has a special place in my heart.”
Junior Kaydin Dean, 17, said as a student athlete, he took on a new perspective, looking beyond the sports rivalry between Rich Township and Kankakee to offer full-fledged support.
“Life is bigger than that,” he said. “It’s a life lesson, it’s a learning lesson and definitely motivation to me.”
Both Thomas and Davis said as superintendents, they want their schools to instill empathy and kindness in each student, which was shown through their work in Kankakee.
“This is just the expectation, to help those in need whenever they’re in need,” Davis said. “We model that with the children every day.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
