New Hampshire Students Band Together to Help Refugee Classmates

Students at the Gossler Park Elementary School have been raising funds for a couple of months

A group of students in Manchester, New Hampshire, recently came together to make a difference for their refugee classmates after a fire destroyed their homes.

Bhutanese Community Leader Kamal Basnet told necn a recent fire recently impacted three of the 250 Bhutanese refugee families who came to Manchester in search of a better life.

“Then they lost everything,” Basnet said.

When students at the Gossler Park Elementary School found out about the fire and that some of their classmates had been affected, they knew they had to help.

“We care about them,” said second grader Tyler Grady.

Judy Troy’s class decided to take the quarter they usually bring in on Friday's to buy popcorn, and donate it to the fire victims.

“We said we should bring in our popcorn money,” said Caylee Buchjune.

And it didn’t matter to students that those families speak a different language and come from a faraway country.

“Because they need clothes and shoes and blankets,” Buchjune said.

Over the last couple months, the fundraiser caught on at other schools across the district.

“It’s so nice to see something positive happen and people working together to help Bhutanese refugees who have been through so much,” said Troy.

Basnet said the generosity speaks volumes, especially during a time of such uncertainty for refugees.

“This is very amazing and showing to the country and community if you work together if you come together nobody will divide us,” Basnet said.

Grady and Buchjune said the moral of the story is simple:

“If you don’t help others bad things will happen,” Grady said.

The children have raised a lot of money, but the total will be a surprise. The Bhutanese families will find out exactly how much at a special presentation on November 28.

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