Last Saturday, five Nashoba Students: Nathaniel and Isaiah French, Hannah Gould, Leo Lukaszevicz, and Russel Christoff were recognized by State Representative Harold Naughton Jr. for their community service work with the homeless in Massachusetts. They were participating in the “Warm UP” project, where they devote many hours to collecting and sorting needed items and delivering them DIRECTLY to the homeless on the street. The group makes a variety of kits and packs including: snack packs, essential kits – and backpacks, which include essential winter gear to keep the homeless warm throughout the winter months. The French brothers and Lukaszevicz have been participating since 2014, Christoff and Gould just joined the project this year.

Isaiah French founded Project “Warm UP” after he participated in Project 351 when he was a student at Luther Burbank Middle School. Project 351 is a program where each January,  they unite a new Class of diverse 8^th graders who lead with kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude for a year of unique service and leadership development opportunities according to the Project 351 website. Isaiah was chosen during his 8th grade year to be the representative from the town of Lancaster to participate in the one day event of service. Since then, Isaiah has continued to his “Warm UP” program and added to it each year.  The “Warm UP” project is now making it the biggest community service project in Worcester County 4-H.

The group would like to thank the Nashoba Community for their continued participation via lost and found donations and the end of year back pack drop off. The group is also working hard to educate younger community members on how to engage in this very important and project.