Local UC graduate donates toys to sheriff

When police officers encounter children during the course of their duties, often times those children have been involved in a vehicle accident, a domestic disturbance or some other traumatic situation.

Thanks to the efforts of one recent college graduate, police officers at one area department will have something to give these children in an effort to comfort them.

Chandler Powell, a Whitley County High School alumnus and a University of the Cumberland’s graduate, has donated several toys and stuffed animals to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department.

While Powell was student teaching with UC, he was asked to do a collaborative leadership project with the school he was assigned to, South Laurel High School.

“I wanted to do more than just an in-school project, so I decided to do something that brought the community and school together,” Powell said.

With the help of the school’s Youth Service Center and his cooperating teacher, Ashley Deaton, a health teacher at SLHS, they raised 200 donations of stuffed animals for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department in two weeks.

“Our initial goal was to get 75 donations. When we got 200, I was very happy.” Powell said.

Powell was able to obtain this opportunity while student teaching and says this has prepared him for his future career and showed him what all goes into collaborating and organizing projects with his school.