EHS senior sends blessings to soldiers

An Elizabethtown High School senior lived up to her surname this fall by sending soldiers gifts from home.

Jill Pickett

Elizabethtown High School student and Embry Chapel African Methodist Episcopcal Church member Jada Love and fellow church member Doris Allen, president of the Gertrude White Missionary Society of the church, make up boxes to fill with items for deployed soldiers. Other Elizabethtown High School students in the background, Marissa Mann, left, and Shelby Joy, divide items to fill the boxes at the church in Elizabethtown. Love is involved with the SADD club at the high school and invited members of the club to participate in the church project.

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Jill Pickett

Jada Love sorts items to be sent to deployed soldiers before boxing them up at Embry Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Elizabethtown.

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Jada Love, a senior at Elizabethtown High School, organized a “Bless a Soldier” campaign at her school, which encouraged people to bring items to send to military members overseas. Love brought the campaign to school after her church, Embry Chapel African Methodist Episcopcal Church, collected items from congregation members.

Love, the senior chairperson for Students Against Destructive Decisions, asked students for two items or $5 to purchase supplies. The project raised $135 and filled three large boxes with items, SADD adviser Melissa Butler said.

Love said she felt compelled to bring the collection drive to the school and out into the community because she wanted to see more people involved. She has indirect ties to the military and has a lot of respect for those who serve their country through military service.

“A lot of my friends here, their parents are in the military or retired,” she said.

Love completed the drive this fall, but she’d like to collect more items for another shipment in the spring, before she graduates.

She recognizes that she needed to start small with her donations, but she’s driven to do everything to the fullest.

“I think young people can still do big things and great things,” she said.

Butler said the organization does several community service projects a year that are initiated by the students. She feels good knowing the students want to reach out to others.

“It’s so rewarding; this is what this club is all about,” she said.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.