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Georgia first graders raise $4,500 for children in Ukraine with money jar donations

THOMASTON, Ga. — They may be young, but a group of Georgia students are already making a huge impact in their community and helping other kids almost 6,000 miles away.

First graders at Upson-Lee Primary School in Thomaston raised thousands for a charity that helps children in Ukraine.

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Crista Stubbs started teaching her students about what is happening in Ukraine after overhearing conversations between her students.

“They were worrying about things they didn’t necessarily need to worry about,” Stubbs told Channel 2′s Heather Catlin.

Their lesson turned into action when the students decided to set out a donation jar in a school hallway to raise money for Ukrainian children.

Their original goal was $2,000. The jar quickly filled up.

“We met that in 24 hours,” Stubbs said.

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Every day, the students would count the money. After nine days, the total went up to $4,300. Stubbs posted Thursday night that the final total ended up being $4,500.

The class donated all the money raised in Thomaston to the nonprofit International Justice Mission, which helps protect children.

Stubbs told Catlin that the project reached far beyond their classroom to other classrooms and people in the community who have graciously.

She said it was great lesson to her kids but also a way for to them to see we are all in this together.

“Probably the best lesson they learned is that they can be the helpers in the world and one act of kindness will spread like wildfire,” Stubbs said. “And I’m proud they can count coins.”

I’m so very proud, yet humbled. $4500!! Our class will change the lives of those suffering in Ukraine. This was never...

Posted by Crista Selsor Stubbs on Thursday, March 31, 2022