When his friend told him about the earthquake in Haiti, Matt wanted to help. Matt, a student at Crestwood Children’s Center’s Early Education Center, asked his one-to-one aid, Naila Shakoor, about ways to raise money on campus. Naila approached Sociotherapy Supervisor Colleen Callahan, who suggested a can and bottle drive. Colleen and Vicky Gashlin, Matt’s clinician, felt this type of project would be beneficial not just for the people of Haiti, but for Matt, as well. “We wanted to make sure the project was successful,” Colleen says, “and we wanted it to be educational for him.” Matt, who has been a student at the Early Childhood Center since July, has had challenges in the classroom. “He’s personable and funny,” Colleen explains, “but he’s not very trusting of adults and has had difficulty forming peer relationships. We thought a can and bottle drive would give Matt opportunities to interact with everyone on campus in a positive way. ”

Planning and implementing the drive involved many steps and, according to Naila, “Matt was very determined and showed a lot of stick-to-itiveness. He had to get approval from the principal for the project. Then he had to ask permission to put collection boxes in the other buildings on campus.” Matt designed and hand colored promotional posters. He wrote emails to staff and notes to students reminding them to bring in cans and bottles from home to support the project. “He also did a lot of public speaking,” Naila adds. “He asked to speak to all the classes to get them involved in the drive.”

The entire Scottsville campus rallied behind the project. Students and staff brought cans and bottles from home. Vicky promised Matt that for every dollar he raised, she would donate fifty cents. The school’s student council voted to donate $29 from an ongoing staff bottle and can collection to Matt’s Haiti fund. Even nurses from Hillside Children’s Center who heard about Matt’s project participated by donating their cans and bottles. Naila says that Matt stayed motivated throughout the project, which ran from early February through mid-March. “He had to sort through and empty out the collections boxes every day. That meant a lot of walking around in the cold, but he never once complained,” she says.

At the end of the drive, Matt bagged up 2,175 cans and bottles – enough to fill the back of a pick-up truck and half of a 15-passenger van. The bags were taken to a redemption center and, the next day, Matt picked up a grand total of $108.75. Combined with the matching funds and other cash donations, total proceeds from the drive were $222, which Matt presented to the Greater Rochester Red Cross. Red Cross representatives told him that the money would be used to provide food and shelter and to help fix a water pump in Haiti. Matt’s mother, Mary, accompanied him and the Crestwood team to the check presentation and was so proud that she called Matt’s father, Ken, to tell him all about it.

Matt wrapped up the project by thanking everyone who helped and supported the drive by giving out peace symbol necklaces. He also gave a presentation on the project at a campus conference attended by administrators, parents, and student council members.

Vicky says that Matt has received tremendous acknowledgement from everyone on campus as a result of the project. “He and I joked the other day that he’s a rock star on campus,” she says. “He told me, ‘More people know me than you.’” Colleen has put together a scrapbook documenting the entire project for Matt. “I can’t stop smiling, I’m so proud of him,” she says.

Matt is already thinking about championing more projects on campus. He has had several ideas for fundraisers, but thinks it might be best to stick with a winning formula. “I think we should do the same project again,” he says, “but for a longer period of time.” Following the completion of his can and bottle drive, Matt was nominated to his school’s student council. He looks forward to piloting his next project, with the help of his fellow student council members.