MHS staff, students collect donations for hurricane-devastated areas

Aditi Varman | The Chronicle

Watching the devastation unfold in the South’s recent hurricane damage sparked a response in the Mason community to send support through the Mason High School (MHS) “Stuff the Bus” hurricane relief drive. 

On October 30, 2024 MHS students and staff brought enough relief items to completely fill a Mason school bus. The bus then transported those items to Matthew 25 Ministries, who in turn delivered the items to areas in need. From bottled water to candles, each donation from the community served as a reminder that distance does not limit compassion.

Anatomy and Zoology teacher Carol Lehman took on a large role in organizing the hurricane drive. Lehman said she, along with Forensics and Cold Case teacher Randy Hubbard and Psychology teacher Angela Johnston, had the spark for this idea through conversations surrounding the devastation in Florida. They felt they needed to gather the community and take action.

“Right after Milton had devastated the Asheville area, Hubbard had said something about a friend down there and showed me some pictures of how awful the devastation was,” Lehman said. “We realized that since we are the biggest school in Ohio, we need to help right away. We wanted to do something beyond ourselves.”

Hurricanes Helene and Milton have most recently wreaked havoc across Southern states including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The damage has contributed to millions of power outages and caused upwards of 130 deaths. The mandatory evacuations, due to the Category 3 storm, have left a detrimental lack of supplies for those in devastated areas. 

Students and staff have seen these struggles through the news and family, creating a sense of urgency to help. A series of essential items were collected to support those affected by the storms, assisting in victims’ comfort and recovery. 

“There was a lot of laundry detergent, paper towels, cleaning supplies, diapers and wipes too for the little ones,” Johnston said. “We had a variety of items that the community helped [to gather]”

Beyond the material assistance, this event carried a message for the Mason community. Johnston said seeing the outcome of the Stuff the Bus event exemplified a strong sense of connection and compassion between students and staff. The outcome was beyond what any of the teachers could have imagined during the early stages of planning. 

“The bus was completely stuffed and full,” Johnston said. “It was a really good feeling to see the fruits of our labor. We were really nervous going into this week, but the community really stepped up and it was amazing to see.”

The success of the drive was not just about filling a bus with donations; it was a testament to the community coming together in a time of need. Lehman said the overwhelming generosity underscored a bigger message about the importance of empathy.

“In this world where we have a lot of people in these crazy situations, wouldn’t it be great if people just did the right thing?” Lehman said. “And so, when an opportunity presents itself to help those less fortunate than you, I think you should always take that opportunity.”

Mason students and staff took the opportunity. Johnston said the Hurricane Relief drive was held with the purpose and hope of contributing to something greater than the Mason community itself and serving as a reminder to students. 

“I hope this drive will serve as helpful for the people down in Florida and I think it helped our community keep them in our thoughts during the devastation they are going through,” Johnston said. “I hope it helps our students realize that just one little small idea can grow into something great, and encourage our students to reach out to those in trouble.”