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2016 SESSION
16105205DWHEREAS, in the fall of 2015, the Farmwell Station Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences students used their sewing and culinary talents to help improve the lives of people living thousands of miles away from their Loudoun County school; and
WHEREAS, the enterprising Farmwell Station Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) students from Ashburn decided on two projects to help less privileged people; their first classroom effort was to refashion pillowcases into 50 dresses for young orphaned girls in Africa; they used their organizational skills to devise an efficient assembly-line process to cut and sew the pillowcase dresses; and
WHEREAS, to reach their goal of making 50 pillowcase dresses in a timely manner, the FACS students enlisted the help of and supervised after-school groups, and seamstresses on the Farmwell Station Middle School staff also lent their assistance; and
WHEREAS, once the pillowcase dresses had been completed and shipped to Africa, the Farmwell Station Middle School FACS students were eager for another service project; they decided to raise money for Opportunity International, a nonprofit organization that provides microfinance loans to help eliminate global poverty; and
WHEREAS, after undertaking initial research, 80 Farmwell Station Middle School FACS students participated in a video conference with an aid worker in Malawi for which the young people from Farmwell Station Middle School had prepared thoughtful questions regarding aid donations, opportunities for education in Malawi, and family incomes; and
WHEREAS, the Farmwell Middle School FACS students were surprised to discover that things that they take for granted—such as education for women—often are unavailable in countries such as Malawi, and they decided that they wanted to help make a difference; and
WHEREAS, the boys and girls embarked on several fundraising efforts, including setting up a coffee cart for the staff at Farmwell Station Middle School; the FACS group also sold homemade baked goods during teacher work days; and
WHEREAS, additionally, for three weeks in December 2015, the budding entrepreneurs in the Farmwell Station Middle School FACS program earned money by delivering coffee and tea directly to the teachers’ classrooms; and
WHEREAS, the Farmwell Station Middle School FACS students far exceeded their fundraising goal of $226, raising more than $350 for Opportunity International; this effort, combined with the group’s hands-on project to make 50 dresses for young girls in Africa, taught the students several important lessons; and
WHEREAS, by becoming involved in two international aid efforts, the Farmwell Station Middle School FACS students learned about life in Africa; they also generated business ideas to raise money to help those in need, and they had the opportunity to see beyond their classroom settings to real-world situations they may previously have known little about; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Farmwell Station Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences students hereby be commended for their hard work and outstanding efforts to provide clothing and funds for people in Africa; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Elizabeth Madigan, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Farmwell Station Middle School, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect and admiration for the students’ dedication to assisting people in great need and for being inspiring role models for all Virginians.