A fundraiser that took place before winter break came to a conclusion Friday when students presented the Samaritan Inn $1109 in gift cards and donations collected through a Season of Giving program.

“It started because we talked as a class about the importance of donating to people who aren’t as fortunate as some of the FISD children,” senior Jessica Gerlacher said. “It has such a big impact on all the families lives, so we thought we should do something.”

Senior Josh Rubio initiated the project in December after volunteering at the Inn.

“The experience I had last year visiting the Inn, serving with their coordinators and seeing the families and how they touched my heart so deeply helped me know that I wanted to come back, or do something for them in one shape or form,” Rubio said. “We sent out emails, made posters, billboards, and made a leaderboard to track the fundraising. We created a video lesson for our classroom meetings, which FISD does every few months, so we decided to dedicate a lesson about serving and volunteering.”

The $1109 raised will help the Samaritan Inn fund its resident programs.

“Partnerships like this and support like this help us provide our transitional program for homeless individuals and families,” Samaritan Inn Chief Executive Officer Rick Crocker said. “Every night about 106 people stay at the inn, so this support goes a long way in making that possible.”