Sydney Lefton

Congregation Shaare Emeth

A field trip to the North Side Community School with her sixth grade class was the inspiration for Sydney when she was deciding on her mitzvah project. After noticing how few books were available for the students, she wanted to create libraries for each classroom. The only books they had were the few brought in by each teacher.

Enlisting help from family and friends, Sydney, daughter of Debbie and Mike Lefton of Creve Coeur, held a book drive at her home. Flyers were sent inviting everyone to bring new or gently used children’s books to support her endeavor.

“The weekend was amazing and I was able to collect over 1,600 books,” said Sydney.  “Even more amazing was the amount of friends and families that participated.  I had over 90 different families donate books.  It was a very overwhelming weekend and I was so excited,” she continued.

After the books were delivered, Sydney spent a few mornings at the school reading, playing and helping the kids with their schoolwork. “I saw that the kids were so excited and each of the classrooms had their new books already being put to good use,” she said. She continued her visits during this past school year as staying connected to North Side Community School was very important to her.

A student at MICDS, Sydney said, “Through this experience, I have really learned just how important it is to appreciate everything that I have.  I always feel a little sad when I am at the school but it is very inspiring to see and hear what the kids have gone through.  The kids are so amazing and appreciative.  When I visited, every child in the 2nd grade classroom made me a thank you note and that meant so much to me.”

The North Side Community School, a charter school, is located in the city of St. Louis. It adds a new grade each year so that the oldest students can continue their education. This next school year will begin with grades kindergarten through third.