BY GAVIN ZEINER AND CARLEY SORRENT

Sam Strickler, a student at Wadsworth High School, has decided to utilize his Wadsworth Starbucks workplace to help the people of Ukraine by donating items and money towards an organization called USCRI [U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants] Cleveland.

“I felt like a call to action because seeing and reading more about the war and the people,” Strickler said. “I then put more research into the topic because it interested me and after being affected by what I was researching I wanted to do something about it.”

After putting in the research Strickler then decided to try and do something at Starbucks, where he works here in Wadsworth. 

“I texted the group chat and asked my co-workers if they wanted to donate anything,  and that we were doing that at the school,” Strickler said. “My boss just so happened to reply, ‘Hey we could just set a box out in the café and invite people to buy things and invite people to put things in the box and we can use that.’ I thought that was a good idea.” 

The organization that Strickler is donating the items to is called USCRI; it is a committee that has a goal to help Immigrants, refugees, and uprooted people live dignified lives with their rights respected and protected in communities of opportunity. Strickler is collecting the donations at Starbucks with a donation bin and having other forms of spreading the word of how others can help out. 

“I’m working on setting up that box and I’m just going to have a couple of fliers at Starbucks and then I plan doing a Wadsworth neighbors announcement,” Strickler said. “That was my boss’s idea as well. And then just talking to just friends and family, stuff like that.”

USCRI is only collecting brand new items, to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the donations. This is a list of everything they are accepting, in order of what is most needed. These items are still being collected at 988 High Street, Wadsworth, across from the McDonalds and Wendy’s. The collection ends on June 3.

• Towels – bath size, hand towel size and washcloths, kitchen towels, oven mitts
• Brooms, Dustpans, Mops and Buckets, clotheslines and clothespins
• 13 gallon kitchen trash cans with lids (and bags) and Small bathroom trash cans
• Diapers -especially Size Newborn and Size 4, and Baby Wipes
• Mixing bowls – preferably metal or glass
• Books that teach the alphabet and early math skills – like this Scholastic Workbook
• Bedding: Blankets, Comforters, and Sheet sets – Full and Twin sizes
• Soccer balls, baby dolls with all skin colors
• Rolling shopping cart like this one and a liner like this one.
• New (ONLY) vacuum cleaners
• Large Area Rugs – new or gently used which have been recently professionally cleaned
• Large frying pans + Big pots with lids
• Large oven safe baking dishes + Large microwave safe serving bowls
• Tea Kettle (Stovetop and electric)
• Heavy duty shower liners with rings + shower/bath matts 
• Paper towels and toilet paper
• Baby Shampoo + Baby Lotion + Children’s Shampoo 
• General cleaning supplies: floor cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner + brushes, dish soap
• Pack-n-Play Cribs and Sheets, Standard Cribs + Crib Mattress and Sheets
• Visa Gift Cards for Groceries ($25 or more) – Marc’s, Walmart, Save-A-Lot