CL girl ‘Lends a Friend’

BY Ariana Shah

Temescal Canyon High School senior Makayla Allsberry from Canyon Lake and her team are looking for donated goods to assist Rehab Without Walls, a national support group organization for those with brain injuries.

Makayla is working with fellow students Gabby Decaro and Sham Labanieh on a CAS project, called “Lend a Friend,” for the IB program they are in.

CAS stands for creativity, action and service and the project is a requirement IB students must complete to obtain diplomas in the program.

Makalya’s team that she leads is asking for donated goods for the impacted families in Rehab Without Walls.

“In 2017 my grandpa experienced a stroke that majorly impacted our family,” Makayla said. “My grandma and he were in and out of hospitals and care centers for what felt like forever. Understanding how much his stroke impacted the life of our family made me passionate to conduct this service project.”

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought Makayla and her team’s attention to the vulnerability of these families.

Makayla Allsberry, far right, is with her grandfather, surrounded by her family. Her grandfather inspired Makayla to create a project to assist those with brain injuries.

“Those who have these injuries can no longer attend their in-person physical therapy,” Makayla said. “The care they receive from trained professionals has been limited. And all of their support group sessions have been transferred to online which can be challenging for many.”

Makayla said she and her partners felt motivated to create a project in which they can collect donations for these families.

“We want them to feel supported by their communities and understand that we are all here for one another during these tough times,” she said.

The students are asking for gift cards from grocery stores, sanitizers, masks and granola bars. They hope to package the donations into care packages which will be sent off to the families in the support group. The deadline for donating these items is Nov. 13. Information on how to provide the donations can be obtained by emailing Makayla at
makaylaallsberry@gmail.com.