Volunteers packed 700 Go Buckets.
The community of Westerville has donated emergency supplies to Westerville City Schools in the form of 700 “Go Buckets” for use in times of crisis. Each bucket equips classrooms with various items that may be helpful during an emergency – from first aid and safety supplies to food and sanitary products. The initiative was led by the Westerville Division of Police and the School Solutions Network, a social enterprise of the Westerville-based company, Status Solutions. Go Bucket assembly took place at Westerville South High School on Friday morning, October 20.
The Go Bucket project originated in 2016 from a Westerville North High School student, Thomas Armstrong, who had participated in the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Volunteers in Public Safety Support program. Armstrong conceptualized the idea and worked with his School Resource Officer, Adam Dross, and Principal Kurt Yancey, to bring his idea to fruition for every classroom at Westerville North. Now, with the help of the Westerville Division of Police and the School Solutions Network, the initiative has collected the local support and donations needed to scale community-wide.
Each Go Bucket contains first aid supplies, glucose tabs, bottled water, a flashlight, hammer, rope, duct tape, scissors and toilet paper. Participating schools also received an instructional video created by the City of Westerville, showing how to use the Go Bucket and its contents in times of crisis. The School Solutions Network’s parent company, Status Solutions, donated more than $20,000 to fund Go Bucket supplies. Other contributors included OhioHealth, Lowes, Uptown Eye Care, Zink Foodservice Group, Northstar Dental, Kroger, Leap of Faith Dance Company, Faith Covenant Church, Dawson, Asterisk Supper Club, Roush Hardware and Sam’s Club.