Sussex Academy student board awards grants to peers for service projects

Student leaders at Sussex Academy recently awarded financial grants to support their peers working on community service projects to benefit children and families in need.

Members of Sussex Academy’s National Honor Society oversee the management of the school’s spirit wear store, and the society’s philanthropy board awards proceeds from the store to clubs and organizations that design actionable and clearly defined projects. 

Philanthropy board members, including students Jack Thomas, Victoria Evans, Aubrey Stanislav and Carolyn Reese, awarded $200 grants each to the school Make a Change Club and food pantry.

Students said they selected those two applications because they had very clear goals that aligned with National Honor Society service goals. 

Make a Change Club members Riley Moriarty and Layla Hastings sought funding for supplies to make blankets to distribute to children hospitalized at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes and Bayhealth Hospital Sussex Campus in Milford. With the $200 award, students said, they were able to order products to make and deliver 25 customized fleece blankets this school year.

Student Jenna Davis, who runs the school food pantry with nurse Dawnyel Furlong, said the pantry purchased a freezer with grants from the honor society last year. This year, she said, the pantry received an additional $200 to purchase supplies to create holiday meal boxes to provide to Sussex Academy families for Thanksgiving. 

By providing warm, balanced meals and frozen meat in addition to pantry items, Davis said the pantry is able to serve the community better each year.

Sussex Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Georgetown.