Silver Lane School holds food drive

Students from Sharon Rose's third grade class load their class's box. Photos by Evan Pajer.

After school let out for the day on Nov. 19, Silver Lane Elementary School's Student Council helped load boxes with food donated by students and staff during the school’s food drive. Just before Thanksgiving, those students will be given a special lesson about the holiday as they give the boxes directly to needy families in the local community.

Jakari, age 9, who is a third-grader in Sharon Rose's third grade class, helped load cans into his class's box. Each grade level was responsible for collecting a particular food item, and for Jakari's class, that meant cranberry sauce and boxes of cornbread mix. "My class brought in a lot of food," he said. Jakari helped his classmates decorate their box, which was covered in yellow paper with the words "Happy Thanksgiving" cut out of construction paper on the front.

Jasmine, age 8, also from Rose's class, was arranging cans of food for placement into the boxes. She said she was excited to be one of the students who will hand out the boxes, and that she helped wrap and tape the box.

Rose, who supervises the Student Council with art teacher Rebecca Shemms, said she thought the food drive was a valuable lesson for her students. "We thought it would be good to see the looks on the people's faces when they pick up the boxes," Rose said. "Thanksgiving is about giving back."

Rose explained that the students are not told that they are participating in a food drive, but are instead told that the boxes are given out as the result of a drawing.

In addition to the food donated by the students, Rose said staff members at the school donated seven turkeys and $100, which will be used to fill any gaps or to purchase more turkeys. Rose said that this year, turnout was lower than normal, which she attributed to storm-related school closures. "Usually, we have a lot more to donate to the food pantries," she said. This year, the school was able to fill 13 boxes, each containing a full Thanksgiving meal.

The students handed out the boxes on Nov. 21, just before the holiday.