Eagerly anticipating the warmer spring months ahead, Oak Knoll students were busy at work recently and organized another H.O.P.E. Committee (Helping Other People Everywhere) fundraiser of the school year while helping to serve nonprofits in need.

Oak Knoll School students enjoyed an out-of-uniform dress down day Monday, March 8, 2021, raising $1,000 to benefit four nonprofit causes important to the H.O.P.E. Committee student organizers. The nonprofits include Southern Comfort Animal Rescue (SoCo Rescue) located in Georgia; Our House, Inc., of Murray Hill, NJ; The Valerie Fund, of Maplewood; and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

The H.O.P.E Committee serves as a clearinghouse for all OKS fundraising, collections, drives and all other monetary requests.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Oak Knoll for setting an example of working for important community causes such as SoCo Rescue,” said Viera Pulver ’23, of Summit. “Southern Comfort Animal Rescue saves hundreds of abused and abandoned dogs each year. Not only does SoCo save the lives of the animals, but it also enriches the lives of the New Jersey families who adopt these dogs.”

Ava Pospeck ’22, of Summit, got involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because during the COVID-19 pandemic, people who had been suffering with cancer have become more isolated from their families and loved ones because of the restrictions placed by hospitals.

“On top of that, cancer patients are at much higher risk of dying from COVID than someone without,” said Pospeck.“Because of this and what we are taught at Oak Knoll, ‘actions not words,’ I decided to join LLS’s team, “A Better Tomorrow,” in hopes of granting a better tomorrow for anyone suffering with Leukemia, Lymphoma, or other blood cancers that the LLS society helps to fund research for. To know that our team made a big impact on even just one person’s life is very gratifying!”

During the dress down day, Oak Knoll community members were asked to donate $5 to participate in the fundraiser and all proceeds were donated to the following four charities:

Southern Comfort Animal Rescue
Southern Comfort Animal Rescue, Inc. (SoCo Rescue) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that rescues, and re-homes abused, unwanted, and abandoned companion animals. SoCo primarily houses dogs of all breeds, ages, shapes, and sizes, and occasionally offer cats for adoption as well. They are a small rescue and the only resource for homeless dogs in a rural county of Georgia.

Our House, Inc.
The mission of Our House, Inc. is to provide healthy, stimulating, and inclusive environments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through community residences, employment services, innovative day programs, social opportunities and related support services designed to help them achieve their full potential for meaningful and productive lives.

The Valerie Fund
The Valerie Fund’s mission is to provide individualized care to children at medical centers close to home. The Valerie Fund believes that the most effective way to heal the children is our care to treat them emotionally, socially, and developmentally, as well as medically.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. They are the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, they have invested nearly $1.3 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches.

Learn more about Oak Knoll’s H.O.P.E. Committee.