Mepham honored for lending helping hand

The Mepham High School Italian and French honor societies have bagged many lunches to donate to those in need, according to adviser Betsy Siegelaub. So she wasn’t entirely surprised when Mepham was recently honored as a School of Distinction by Schools Fight Hunger, a national nonprofit organization that recognizes schools’ efforts to reduce hunger nationwide.

Fewer than 2,000 schools across the country were awarded the School of Distinction honor. The award is given to schools that bring exceptional enthusiasm, creativity and dedication, along with meals, to those in need. “We are very proud of our Foreign Language Honor Society students and their efforts to fight hunger,” Principal Mike Harrington said. “It is a true reflection of the care and compassion of the Mepham school community.”

The first time the Italian and French honor societies decided to help those in need, they did so as a way to celebrate Foreign Language week in March. Siegelaub gave her students information on bagging lunches to donate to the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead. The students collected bread, peanut butter, jelly and snacks to fill lunch bags. The honor societies held candy sales to raise money to purchase supplies. And students bought food on their own. “The families in this community are unbelievable,” Siegelaub said of their generosity.

With supplies in hand, about 30 students spent one afternoon after school bagging the lunches, putting a sandwich, a drink and a snack in each bag. The lunches were then labeled with their contents and sealed. In two hours, students made more than 100 lunches, which were then donated to the INN.

The honor societies held another bagged lunch drive later in the year, during which they made another 100 lunches, Siegelaub said, adding, “The kids really enjoyed it, and they really felt good about it.”

The Italian and French honor societies once again plan to make lunches to donate to the INN this year, Siegelaub said. October is Italian Heritage Month, so the Italian Honor Society is busy preparing a feast, but plans to hold another bag-lunch drive shortly thereafter.

Siegelaub said she couldn’t be prouder of her students’ desire to give back. “There’s so much going on in the school district to help,” she said.