A Jacksonville school is doing its part to help combat COVID-19, a sometimes deadly form of coronavirus. Trinity Christian Academy is aiding its 20 Chinese international students and their families, who can’t get the medical supplies they need.
Staff with the school's international program are making care packages with medical supplies for those students to take back to their families in areas affected by COVID-19, a type of coronavirus.
The care packages include face masks, latex gloves, and hand sanitizers.
The international program started gathering supplies, and the effort quickly snowballed when the students' host families and the larger community wanted to contribute money and other supplies.
Many of the students have families living in areas affected by COVID-19. They’ve run out of the types of supplies in the care packages.
“It’s hard to be here and your family there and to be disconnected and to know they don’t have the things that they need,” says International Program Director Cindy Robinson.
One student described Wuhan and surrounding areas as the most at risk and in need of supplies.
“One family only can let one person go outdoor one time per week to get supplies they need,” says Allen Chen, an exchange student from China.
The school and host families wanted the international students to feel like they’ve helped take care of their families long term.
“We don’t want to send them back into a situation without the things that they need to stay healthy and well,” Robinson said.
Some of the international students will be heading back home to China on Saturday, taking the care packages with them. Their fellow students have hand-written notes saying "thank you for coming", wishing them a "safe trip home," and urging them to "stay healthy."