LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fayette County Public Schools partnered with Jefferson County Public Schools to donate nearly 500 items of furniture to an elementary school in eastern Kentucky. 

There was no question for Morehead native Kim Reeder in helping the students in eastern Kentucky.  

“I hope this is something that someone would do for me if I were ever in a bad situation,” Reeder said.

A former educator in Fayette County, Reeder was one of the many volunteers and leaders in the project who helped pack a truck with around 460 items of furniture for Hindman Elementary School. 

“That’s one of the things I was trying to find, you know, whether it was nice rugs or, or colorful tables that they can have, in addition to just you know, the standard items just to give them an atmosphere that was safe and stable and reliable and maybe have a little bit of fun in there,” Reeder said.

Katie Williams, director of communication for Fayette County Public Schools says the delivery will include desks, chairs, cafeteria tables, risers and other basic school needs. 

“You know, sister to sister, from school district to school district. It feels nice, you know, to have the support from educators to know that we’re doing what we can on our end to help them reopen their buildings,” Williams said.

Emergency Disaster Services says Hindman Elementary School was one of the many schools affected by the flood. With nearly four feet of water inside the building, destroying everything inside, the start of the school year has been delayed. 

“We’ve all seen natural disaster strikes before and the impact that it has on schools and we know that our kids do best when they’re in the school building,” Williams said.

Bringing a sense of hope to the students and the schools in eastern Kentucky, Reeder says it’s an opportunity she is proud to be a part of. Besides furniture, Reeder says the schools are still in need of donations such as other items like books, specifically hardcover books for each grade level.