Watertown Middle School eighth-grader Honor Petrie met Gov. Charlie Baker during a Project 351 event at the State House.
Eighth-grader Honor Petrie was chosen to represent all of Watertown Middle School in a statewide event – Project 351 – where she got to meet Gov. Charlie Baker. This spring, she organized a clothing drive at the school that collected dozens of bags of clothes to give to Cradles to Crayons, a children’s charity.
Watertown News asked Petrie about her experiences as Watertown’s ambassador to Project 351 and her clothing drive.
Q: How were you chosen to represent Watertown Middle School for Project 351, and why did you want to become an Ambassador?
A: I hadn’t ever heard of Project 351 until I was called down to the office one day at school, and my principal (Mr. Carter) explained to me what Project 351 is, and why I was chosen to be Ambassador. I was really surprised and so excited. He explained that the program is about teaching students to be leaders who inspire others to perform acts of service. It’s such a great program because they make it really fun, but also very challenging. I feel so lucky to be this year’s Ambassador.
2) What did you learn at the Project 351 Launch Day?
I learned so much on launch day…I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, the second I got on the bus and met everyone, I could already sense a strong community between all of us. After 10 minutes, we were all chatting away with the people sitting around us. Little did we know, this would be the quieter of the two bus rides that day! The moment that I stepped foot in the State House, I was completely speechless as I saw over 400 other 8th graders, just like me, gathered in this place for a day of community service. I realized that anyone can make a difference. It’s not like we were specially trained experts in anything, we were just 400 eighth graders, ready to make a positive difference in our community of Boston. Later that day, when my group served at Cradles to Crayons, I was so inspired by everyone’s dedication and amazing work ethic. It made me feel so good to know that we were helping kids all over Massachusetts with the work we did that day.
3) I hear you met the governor. What was that like?
Meeting the governor was such a cool experience! He spoke to us after our long day of team building and service. He was very inspiring and a great speaker. After he spoke, we heard from Robert Kraft, who is a big supporter of Project 351. We also heard from the father of Martin Richard, the boy who was killed at the Boston Marathon bombing. I was amazed that he was able to speak about his son in front of all of us. It was incredibly sad, but also really inspiring.
4) Why did you choose to work with Cradles to Crayons?
Project 351 encouraged us to do a clothing and shoe drive in the spring for Cradles to Crayons as part of our role as Ambassador. I had volunteered with Cradles to Crayons in the past, and I really like what they do to help kids in Massachusetts, so I knew I wanted to do a clothing drive for them.
As part of being a Project 351 ambassador, Honor Petrie organized a clothing drive for Cradles to Crayons.
5) How did you collect so many clothes for the group?
It was definitely a group effort! First, I worked with my advisor to come up with a catchy name that would be easy for people to remember. I called it “Head to Toe, Giving to Grow.” With the help of my awesome leadership team at school, we hung posters and flyers all over Watertown Middle School. Teachers helped me get the word out to WMS parents, and I made sure all my family and friends knew about the drive, so they could donate. Over all, communication (or “Spread the Word”) was what really helped bring in the donations. I collected a total of 41 bags (13-gallon trash bags). Cradles to Crayons has high standards for the condition of the clothing they will accept, so 28 bags went to Cradles to Crayons and 13 bags were donated to Goodwill.
6) What was the reaction when you showed up at Cradles to Crayons with you bags full of clothing?
Project 351 made it so there was a drop-off location very close to all P351 Ambassadors. I extended my drive a week because there were many events that would attract parents, and even more donations. Because of this, I dropped my bags off at a drop-off bin, right outside Cradles to Crayons in Brighton. I was completing my drive about a week later than everyone else, so there was no one else from Project 351 there. But, I did see bags from other P351 Ambassadors in the storage bin!
Watertown Middle School collected dozens of bags of kids clothes for Cradles to Crayons.
7) Do you have plans for more service projects?
Yes, I plan to host a service project in the fall, and hopefully next Spring as well. Project 351 will help me with ideas, and even though I’ll be at the High School next year, I’ll work with my WMS advisor, Ms. Willoughby, to plan it out. I’m looking forward to it!
It has been such an amazing experience to host this drive at my school. I want to thank everyone who helped, everyone who donated, my advisors, and everyone from Project 351 for all the support – Thank you!