The 20-or-so K-5 students are all in the Catholic school’s new Kindness Club. The undergarments are gifts for kids their age 900 miles away in Asheville, North Carolina, who have recently returned to school after devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene killed 233 people and created billions of dollars of damage.

This month, the students in the club are collecting 500 pairs of underwear, 500 pairs of socks and 500 notes of encouragement to share with students at Buncombe County Schools as part of the nationwide “Undy 500.”

Community Service Coordinator Allison Rozon said they’re inviting the community to join them in their act of kindness.

New, packaged undergarments and socks for kids ages 5 to 10 can be dropped off at St. Bernard’s School at 63 River St. through Dec. 6. Drop-off times are between 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. on school days.

Ollie Milne grins as he ties a bow on a package of socks, underwear and a kind note at the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club on Friday. Students are collecting underwear and socks for Hurricane Helene victims this month. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

The club is also accepting cash to help with shipping costs. Donors are welcome to attach their own kindness note as well, but don’t need to. The students are working on making dozens of them.

The Kindness Club was started this year by 3rd grade teacher Katie Gaylord and 4th grade teacher Lauren Lazarus. They said the students all chose to be in this weekly club and seem genuinely excited about showing others kindness with generous acts.

The club students have also volunteered at the Community Lunch Box and Tri-Lakes Humane Society.

“I think the kids already kind of have the idea of service in their heads,” Rozon said.

The school administrators focus on instilling generosity in the students from a young age, she said.

St. Bernard's School third-grader Grace Gaylord and kindergartener Asher Lazarus -- both Kindness Club members -- hold cards they made to attach to packages of underwear and socks they're collecting to send to hurricane victims in North Carolina. (Provided photo — Andrea Kilbourne-Hill)

Students said “It feels good to be nice to others,” and another said it gives them a “warm feeling inside,” when asked about what it was like to collect new clothes for the hurricane victims on Friday.

“I really want to help the kids because they went through a storm and I feel really bad,” third-grader Marley Coolbaugh said.

If she went through a storm, a card with socks and underwear would make her feel better, Coolbaugh said.

“I hope they feel better,” Second-grader Ollie Milne said.

He said students were customizing their cards with smiley faces, the sun, stars, the moon, or drawings of cats, alongside short messages of hope.

Marley Coolbaugh, Grace Gaylord, Hannah Hovey and a St. Bernard's School kindergartener pick out socks and underwear to sending to Hurricane Helene victims, along with notes of kind words they are writing. This month, members of the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club are collecting and donating socks and underwear to students in Asheville, North Carolina. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

“Most people writed, they writed mostly about ‘Sorry for the flood,’ and ‘Here’s something to help you through,'” third-grader Addison Czadzeck said.

On Friday they tied these cards to packages of socks and underwear. Some of the older kids who knew how to tie bows helped their younger friends.

The Undy 500 is part of The Great Kindness Challenge, an international organization which holds a challenge week every January in schools all over where students do kind acts for others.

Gaylord worked with one of the challenge’s co-founders, Jill McManigal, when she lived in Virginia. When Gaylord moved to Saranac Lake, she brought the idea for the annual week of charity with her — first to Petrova Elementary and now St. Bernard’s School.

McManigal is well known for organizing the international event and numerous spin-offs, so when disaster strikes, she’s often called up to help students around the world participate in the relief efforts.

Jackson DeGrace shows off a package of socks he's sending to Hurricane Helene victims, along with a note of kind words he wrote. This month, members of the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club are collecting and donating socks and underwear to students in Asheville, North Carolina. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

“I want to be like Jill when I grow up,” Gaylord said.

According to the Undy 500 website, the drive is gathering undergarments for 22,000 students in 45 schools around the cities of Asheville, Arden, Barnardsville, Black Mountain, Candler and Swannanoa.

A message from the school district says that classes resumed on Oct. 25, about a month after the flooding hit on Sept. 27.

The district said that there was “catastrophic damage to the community and schools,” adding that some students lost family members. There was damage to homes, to school buildings and to roads. Many were left without clean drinking water, electricity or shelter.

With the initial relief over, and schools back in session, Rozon said socks and underwear aren’t something that people think of right away, but that they are important.

Kindergartener Asher Lazarus adds his package of socks, underwear and a kind note to a pile assembled by members of the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club on Friday. Students are collecting underwear and socks for Hurricane Helene victims this month. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

“These basic needs items, often overlooked in disaster relief, will help ensure that students in the hardest-hit areas can return to school with confidence and comfort,” according to a news release from the school.

“Part of why we chose this service project was because we could get tangible items to those affected by the hurricanes,” Rozon said. “Many other organizations and contacts were only accepting financial donations at present. Having the kids be able to bring in tangible items to help other kids is so much more meaningful.”

The notes of encouragement make it more personal, she added.

Addison Czadzeck ties a card with kind words to a package of underwear at the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club on Friday. Students are collecting underwear and socks for Hurricane Helene victims this month. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Grace Gaylord ties a bow on a package of socks, underwear and a kind note at the St. Bernard's School Kindness Club on Friday. Students are collecting underwear and socks for Hurricane Helene victims this month. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)