Reporter:
Volunteers for Operation Northern Comfort are up early building desk in their Baldwinsville barn.
Norm Andrzejewski:
Our guys Tom and Vicki made the design for this desk so that it is as easy as we can make it to put together.
Reporter:
The groups CEO Norm Andrzejewski, has put together a squad that has taken the initiative to provide resources for students, starting with school desk.
Norm Andrzejewski:
Many kids who were going to school on their bed, going to school on the kitchen table, going to school on the living room floor because that’s the best they can do. That’s where they’re doing their homework, that’s not right.
So we thought, let’s give them desk, let’s provide desk for our kids. So that’s what we’re doing, our goal is to make five-hundred desk. We’ve made over fifty so far and delivered them and they’re now functioning in peoples houses.
Reporter:
With over 200 request so far, volunteers are building about fifty desk a weekend. Putting a pep in their step to continue helping students.
Debra McClendon:
I mean, they were really really happy.
Reporter:
Debra McClendon runs a mentorship program for young students. After teaming up with Operation Northern Comfort, her kids learning from home now have desk and she’s starting to see a change.
Debra McClendon:
How organized they are now because now they have everything there. They’re thriving, that’s it, they’re thriving.
Reporter:
The desk are being distributed in Syracuse, Oneida and Utica. You can learn more by visiting Operation Northen Comforts website, I’m Troy Rose..N-C-C news.
Baldwinsville, N.Y. (NCC News) – Local non-profit Operation Northern Comfort has begun making school desk for young students.
The initiative “Desk for kids” was put together to help student who are now learning remotely from home.
Norm Andrzejewski, the CEO of Operation Northern Comfort, felt building desk was the right idea after learning how students were doing their homework.
“Going to school on the living room floor because that’s the best they can do,” Andrzejewski said. “That’s where they’re doing their homework, that’s not right.”
The effort of Andrzejewski and Operation Northern Comfort was noticed by a local mentorship program.
Debra McClendon, the founder of PGR Incorporated, instantly knew this would help her young students as they learn from home.
“It was just a beautiful moment,” McClendon said. “When they walked by the desk on the way out, they would say “that’s my desk”.”
Since beginning the initiative, a couple weeks back, the group has received over 200 requests so far.
“Our goal is to make 500 desks,” Andrzejewski said. “We’ve made over 50 so far and delivered them.”
Andrzejewski says this is just the beginning and continues to set long-term goals for the group and “Desk for kids.”
“The long-term goal is getting more people understanding what you can do as a volunteer or volunteer organization,” Andrzejewski said. “…we need a lot more of what these people are doing here.”
You can visit Operation Northern Comforts website to learn more about the initiative or volunteering.
