By Caroline Carter 
Staff Writer
With large houses, nice cars and expensive clothing, it can be easy to forget that there are many in Coppell struggling financially.
To help those in need, community members have selflessly donated their time and money to provide assistance to families struggling to make ends meet.
“After the recession and downturn in the economy, there was a great need for a food pantry at Coppell High School,” CHS health sciences teacher Ray Pool said. “So I started to organize a canned good collection. Other groups started to help as well like [history teacher Kevin Casey] and the National Honor Society and the Methodist church in Coppell.”
Pool is in charge of the school’s food pantry, located in his classroom. He and his students organize the shelves and restock the shelves when canned goods are running low. His students also assist with running the goods to other schools in the city.
“There was a recent statistic that came out this summer that one in five kids will go to school hungry every day,” Pool said. “Even in this school, there are so many kids that need food. If a student is hungry, they cannot learn. They will not be able to focus in class because they will be more concerned about where the next meal might come from.”
Other groups in Coppell have reached out to assist Pool and his efforts. Most recently, the Lions Club of Coppell gave a set of Walmart gift cards valued at $1,100 to be given to students in need. Several boxes of canned goods were also donated.
“We chose to donate this money and food to Coppell because it was in the community, and we knew it was for a good cause,” Lions Club president Bill Smothermon said. “We had heard about Pool’s food pantry and thought it would a good place to invest our money in. I am hoping that the kids who need a helping hand will get it. By giving the donation, I am also hoping that kids know that there is always someone out there who cares.”
With over 1.35 million members, the Lions Club is the largest service club organization worldwide. Originally founded as a service organization to fight blindness by giving glasses to people that cannot afford them, the organization has made a large impact both at a local and national level.
In Coppell, the Lions Club is commonly known for its annual Pancake Breakfast. This year was the 26-year to hold the breakfast.
“The Pancake Breakfast helps fund our scholarship program for 1,000 every year in college,” Smothermon said. “We also hold our book drive which was very successful this year. Over 400 people came this year, and it is always a good time. Everyone leaves happy.”
In addition to the donation to CHS and Pancake Breakfast, the Lions Club of Coppell has taken on several other service projects.
“The Lions Club in Coppell started out the year by holding a vision bus for kids in Coppell and provided glasses for students who could not afford them,” Smothermon said. “We also helped with Kid Country and provided some manpower and funds to help make the playground a reality. There is a also a project we do that is called the Sports Extravaganza. It is an Olympic-like event for kids who are visually blind or impaired. They do everything from archery to track. We try to stay busy.”
The Walmart gift card donations from the Lions Club will not only be used to serve CHS students, but students at all Coppell ISD schools
“Counselors and teachers can come to an administrator and say that there is a student that might need something,” Pool said. “The whole district is involved. When people need it, the school is contacted and then we run it out. At Austin Elementary, we have given Jan McBride (the school’s counselor) some backpacks. McBride will load up the backpacks with food and then send them home with kids on Friday so they will have food on the weekends.”
The Lions Club’s generous donation will be able to help many students in need. Not only will they be able to have canned goods from the food pantry, but the donation will provide them with a variety of needs including gas money and personal products from the Walmart gift cards.
“Gift cards to Walmart can provide lots of things for students and their families,” CHS counselor Penny Davis said. “The gift cards can help someone get a prescription, gas or even a toy for Christmas or someone’s birthday. Student Services and the counseling department are very welcoming so it is easy for a parent or student to approach us if they need this type of help.”
Though the Lions Club was able to give a very large donation, Smothermon says that there community members can help make an impact as well in different ways.
“If you just watch and pay attention, you can find many ways to get involved and make a difference,” Smothermon said. “[Christian Community Action] has a bunch of projects, and the Lions Club and many groups have a food and toy collection around the holidays. Stay conscious of what is going on in your community and whenever you get the opportunity to make a difference, say ‘yes’,”
Because of the generous donation of Smothermon and the rest of the Lions Club of Coppell, many students will be able to receive the support and food that they need to be successful in high school.
“It is a great feeling to know that we are helping kids out,” Smothermon said. “The Lions Club is all about extending a helping hand. It makes us feel really good knowing we can make a difference. Coppell is a relatively small town, so we try and treat everyone like a neighbor; that is what giving is all about.”
