Mackenzie Middle School ‘Mack Makers’ making a difference through community service

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Mackenzie Middle School students are making a difference in the community, staying late after school to serve. The ‘Mack Makers’ club was created in the fall, after six students approached Library Media Specialist Angela Rajcic, wanting to use their creativity and kindness to help others.

“It’s a very rare thing because I don’t think that, you know, they see the outside world and the needs. They also don’t realize that they can actually make a difference,” Rajcic said.

Rajcic was impressed with their idea and determination and helped the students get started. After brainstorming needs around Lubbock, students began meeting after school for an hour, once a week, to work on community service projects.

For their first project, the ‘Mack Makers’ made pillows to give to residents in a nearby nursing home.

“The nursing home residents had some tears. Our kids had some tears and you could just see the students developing empathy,” Rajcic said.

“It was really touching to the people, ‘cause like people at the nursing home they really don’t have visitors,” 7th grader Renee Fowler said.

After nearly 30 students got involved, the students gave the club its name. Now, they’re working on blankets and toys for the influx of dogs and cats at the Lubbock Animal Shelter.

“We are making blankets to make them feel at home, and giving donations to them like cleaning supplies and food,” Fowler said.

“We just really want to help the animals. It’ll at least keep them warm through the night because I know it gets really cold in there,” 7th grader Isabella Garza said.

Rajcic says the students were hoping to craft a blanket for every animal in the shelter.

“Then when they heard 400, that was overwhelming. So, if anybody can help them, you know, reach that goal, that’d be really cool,” she said.

She says they hope to place donation drop boxes out around town so people can join in their kindness. The students will take a field trip to deliver their projects at the end of April.

“I always believe if, like, you put kindness out in the world, it will come back to you,” Fowler said.

The students are still making plans for the donation boxes, so KCBD will keep you updated on where and when you can donate to the cause.

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