Just two days after a tornado tore through Clayton, over 75 fifth graders from Glenridge, Captain and Meramec elementary schools came together not for class, but for kindness.

In the basement of Kol Rinah Synagogue a group of children whose schools were closed due to storm damage came together to pack hundreds of care packages. The packages were given to first responders, electrical crews and tree cutters working tirelessly to restore the community. The event was not organized by a school or a city department, it was sparked by parents with an idea and a group of families who wanted to give back.

“Sunday afternoon, I thought if the kids don’t have school tomorrow, let’s do something to keep them busy and so they can give back to the community,” Abby Goldstein said, a parent at Captain Elementary who co-organized the effort. “We wanted to make a difference, but also wanted the kids to see the difference they were making in their own community.”

Goldstein contacted her friend Lauren Hamburg, a parent at Meramec Elementary, and together, they began contacting other fifth-grade families.

“They just started texting people saying we’re going to do this tomorrow,” Pamela Lyss-Lerman said, a participating parent. “They created a WhatsApp group to send messages.”

Within hours, 77 parents had joined the group chat, and the event took shape overnight. Hamburg bought the supplies, parents donated funds and a fellow mom opened the doors to a synagogue.

“The community was just amazing,” Goldstein said. “There was an overwhelming response from parents of, ‘We’re in, how do we help?’”

Inside Kol Rinah, the room buzzed with energy as kids formed an assembly line, stuffing bags with water, snacks and handwritten thank-you notes. “It was beautiful. It was organized chaos,” Lyss-Lerman said. “To be able to do something together was really beautiful.”

Some of the most heartfelt contributions came on 400 brightly colored index cards, where kids scrawled messages of thanks and encouragement: “Thank you for helping my community,” “You’re the best,” and “We couldn’t do this without you.”

“I saw a worker yesterday who was taking a picture of his note and sending it to his wife,” Goldstein said. “We did lots of letters of kindness, because who couldn’t use more kindness?”

That kindness made an impact. One first responder told Lyss-Lerman, “Clearly your fifth graders have learned important lessons in school that they would spend their time doing this. Tell them to keep on studying and keep on learning.”

Fifth grader Elliot Hamburg felt happy for what he and his peers have done.

“[The workers and paramedics] deserve the care packages for all their hard work,” Hamburg said.

The event was not just about giving back, it was about bringing people together. After the last bag was packed, the fifth graders gathered in circles, each with a mix of students from all three schools.

“They went around the circle introducing themselves and saying something they like to do,” Lyss-Lerman said. “What a wonderful way to begin to get to know each other.”

With middle school just around the corner, the event helped break down social barriers.

“These fifth graders are about to go to Wydown with other kids, so it was an opportunity to get them together,” Lyss-Lerman said. “It might have taken away some of the fear, hesitation and not knowing.”

For the kids, the project was more than just a distraction, it was a meaningful experience.

“I liked delivering the packages because that was fun and it made me feel good,” Bernie Goldstein, a fifth grader. “I learned that it feels good to do good stuff for people who help you.”

And for parents, it was a much-needed reminder of hope.

“It sure made our students, their teachers, and their parents smile, which is something that many of us have had a hard time doing these last few days,” Lyss-Lerman said.

As workers in hard hats cleared debris and reconnected power lines, children who had lost their normal routines gained something even more powerful: a sense of gratitude and connection.

“We hope that [the workers and first responders] will see that we are grateful,” Lyss-Lerman said. “When you see that you are helping other people, it just makes you feel better inside.”

While the community is still assessing the damage, this group of 10—and 11-year-olds gave Clayton something else to hold onto: each other. 

“This project showed how even though our community is hurting, so many people have come together to do something wonderful and give back. Together we are better,” Goldstein said.