Proud: Students team up to create “hero baskets”

PITTSBURGH — After two months of planning everything virtually, two local schools delivered what they call “hero baskets” to frontline workers this week. Steel Valley and Gateway Middle School students showed appreciation to hospital employees, making us proud to be from Pittsburgh.

The student council students interacted with each other virtually and made a video promoting their donations collection in January. The students have never worked together before and teachers felt this was a great way to get students to interact despite all the pandemic challenges. The community and other students donated packaged items to the project for the baskets. Channel 11 was there as they worked to create baskets filled with treats. The project is called #helptheheros.

Steel Valley Sixth-grader Talia Tazzi said each student worked to fill bags, bowls, and baskets, “we are giving them snacks drinks, beauty products like tissues and hand sanitizers. "

The items were then delivered to Jefferson and Forbes Hospital and placed in the employee lounges and breakrooms.

Teacher and project coordinator Erin Noblet, said many of the students have family members on the frontline and consider them heroes. The hospital locations were also chosen because they were close to the communities and where family members worked.

“These kids are amazing,” said Noblet. “They’re so eager, especially my fifth and sixth graders, who are new to the middle school; they’re eager to get involved.”

The “hero baskets” were dropped off this week at the hospitals. Now the students are working on planning a spring clean-up project.

Statewide shortages, weather, will hold up some people trying to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Allegheny County