MICHELLE MORAND & KELSEY GRAHAM

Michelle and Kelsey Graham are members of Future, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). They used their connections in FCCLLA to help out their community. The girls decided to focus their efforts on the needy in their community. They did research to find out what was most needed that they would be able to raise or get donations for. The Grahams decided to hold aclothing and blanket drive. They were able to advertise at Three Rivers Middle School where they attend so other students could also bring in clothes and blankets. This endeavor resulted in more than 500 items contributed to the needy. Mrs. Smith, the FCCLA leader, took the items down to the drop-in center so they could be distributed.

The girls’ next endeavor was Tricycle Races. Children in their school had collections jars in each of their homerooms. The top 12 homerooms that had the most money got to see their respective teachers ride tricycles. The proceeds from this fundraiser went to the Leukemia Foundation. A student at the schooll has leukemia, and some of the money collected went towards her treatment and needs. The money from the other race went to purchase animals for poor families in Afghanistan. In the second race, approximately $15,000 was raised. They were able to buy two dairy cows, four rabbits, two camels and four goats.

The girls also went carolling to three local nursing homes: Riverview, Miami Newhaven and Three Rivers Nursing Homes. They split up into groups and went into the rooms where they were allowed to and sang to the seniors. The residents looked forward to the visits and some of them even sang along with the girls.

Michelle and Kelsey also participated in Crosstown Help Out. They reported to serve at 7am on a Saturday and worked for one of several participating locations in town. They chose Our Daily Bread, which is a walk-in center in downtown Cincinnati. They painted and cleaned the floors and walls until 2:30 in the afternoon.

Michelle and Kelsey have done this for the past two years and plan on continuing this as an ongoing project. The girls have also participated in Rally, where they go before judges and tell them about certain things you did in FCCLA. They have participated in Rally for two years and are planning to again next year. Their group made it to Nationals for the last Rally and flew to Philadelphia on July 4th. They scored a 99.3 at regional rally and at state they received a 100.