{"id":12353,"date":"2018-11-10T17:25:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-10T17:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/?p=12353"},"modified":"2026-09-04T17:28:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T17:28:57","slug":"salvation-army-distributes-backpacks-to-students-affected-by-hurricane-michael","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/index.php\/2018\/11\/10\/salvation-army-distributes-backpacks-to-students-affected-by-hurricane-michael\/","title":{"rendered":"Salvation Army Distributes Backpacks to Students Affected by Hurricane Michael"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Panama City, FL <\/strong>— Monday, November 5, was the first day of school – again\u00a0– for many in Panama City, Fla., after Hurricane\u00a0Michael forced students out for close to a month. But the classroom looks different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome children are living in shelters. Some have moved away. Some are sleeping on couches with friends. Others have lost entire homes,\u201d says Kevin McCoy, a pre-kindergarten teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a lot of schools, there were 50 percent less students than they had before the hurricane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChildren need normalcy,\u201d says McCoy. \u201cIt\u2019s a war zone here. There isn\u2019t much left of this city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In McCoy\u2019s classroom, shelves that were once filled with backpacks, school supplies and personal items now sit empty. \u201cMany of these children have been left with nothing,\u201d says McCoy. \u201cIt\u2019s gut-wrenching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help his students move forward, McCoy contacted The Salvation Army for help with backpacks and school supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiving a backpack to a child who has been through trauma such as this is more than about pencils and crayons,\u201d says McCoy.  \u201cIt\u2019s about stability, restoration, and says that someone cares.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 A survivor himself, McCoy says it\u2019s great to be back in the classroom.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThinking about the children helped me get through the storm,\u201d says McCoy. \u201cI needed to see them and to know there were OK.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCoy says he is still working through his own painful memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe eye of the storm came over my house,\u201d says McCoy. \u201cMy roof caved in and there is water damage. I\u2019ve lost 60 percent of my possessions and am still cleaning out debris. It was scary and unlike anything I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While McCoy works through his own rebuilding, he wants to ensure he gives hope to his students for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Salvation Army has met our classroom needs, which is absolutely wonderful,\u201d says McCoy. \u201cEveryone, including the children, has been traumatized. The backpacks give us all something to smile about.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Salvation Army <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panama City, FL — Monday, November 5, was the first day of school – again\u00a0– for many in Panama City, Fla., after Hurricane\u00a0Michael forced students out for close to a 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