Loading...Students, faculty and families at The Episcopal School of Knoxville recently raised $5,196.70 for tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma.
"One of the most distinctive things about our school and Episcopal schools in general is that we value community service as a core component of the curriculum,” ESK Chaplain Josh Hill said. “In the case of the tornadoes in Oklahoma, our whole school community -- from parents and students to faculty and staff -- exercised that commitment to service and to our partners in the wider Episcopal network.
“By sending funds, we empowered a relief effort that was driven by existing, local relationships and the common faith we profess.”
The money was donated to St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oklahoma City in support of the Tornado Response Fund sponsored by Episcopal Relief and Development. The fund enables the ERD to aid relief efforts and help local congregations expand their outreach ministries to meet community needs.
"I was very pleased to see the way our students showed a sense of enthusiasm and compassion in the wake of the storms,” Hill said. “They were praying for victims in earnest during chapel in the days following the tornadoes, and they were really motivated to help."
Following the devastating storms in May, students collected cash donations during carpool times. The school’s Parents’ Association matched dollar for dollar the amount the students raised.
"It is so encouraging to see a whole community working in concert for the benefit of others,” Hill said. “It was a beautiful thing."
