REAL Exclusive Magazine

Pine View Student Stevie Peacock And “Project Kindness”.

For the last six years Stevie Peacock, a student at Pine View School, has provided Back to School supplies through her program called “Project Kindness” to Habitat for Humanity Sarasota homeowner’s school age children. This year supplies were distributed from a home in Jordan’s Crossing with support from the Girl Scouts.

ABOUT STEVIE

Stevie Peacock helps needy families through an organization that she founded 6 years ago called Project Kindness. Stevie holds annual “Back to School Rallies” and school supply drives for the Habitat for Humanity neighborhood of Jordan’s Crossing.

She was named one of 22 teenagers honored nationwide with the title of “2011 Nestlé Very Best In Youth.” The teens were chosen for their academic achievements and for exceptional community service for causes ranging from humanitarian relief efforts to protecting endangered species.

Stevie would like to attend Yale, Brown or Princeton University to study international relations. Her goal is eventually to work for the United Nations to improve support for children and education in undeveloped countries.
 
Her support for Habitat came from a Pine View School Project in 2007. The senior class built a house and she met the Habitat volunteer coordinator during this time. Stevie has also traveled to Cambodia for the dedication of a school that she helped fund as well as purchased and delivered toys and books to an orphanage in Cambodia. She also organized a toy drive for All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete, a school supply drive and delivery of holiday toys for Memorial Elementary in the Migrant town of Arcadia as well as read to them on quarterly visits.

Stevie’s inspiration for starting Project Kindness came from the Building Buddies program started by Pine View School to support Memorial Elementary in Arcadia after their community was devastated by Hurricane Charley. Her Memorial pen pal informed me that Arcadia needed support even before Hurricane Charley hit. That summer, she contacted family and friends about the need at Memorial Elementary.

For the past 6 years, she has collected and organized enough school supplies and holiday gifts for the incoming 200 kindergartners. Three years ago Stevie started an annual “Back to School Rally” for a “Habitat for Humanity” neighborhood. She became involved with All Children’s Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital by inviting birthday guests to bring gifts for the hospital instead of gifts for herself. This year she collected hundreds of toys and DVD’s by setting up collection sites in the community. Stevie recently began an effort to get donated baby car seats for the Mother-Baby Unit.

Visit Habitat for Humaniity Sarasota at www.habitatsrq.org