Taking action to fight hunger

Pastor Cristi Preda, far right, of Christ Alive Church, was grateful for the students’ donation.

Courtesy Mona Allen

East Meadow High School’s World Hunger Action Club has grown from a handful of members to about 40 since its creation about five years ago.

David Weingrad/Herald

Senior officers Nicole Jaffe, at left, Kerri Percoco, Melissa Conway and Stephanie Lowe, all 17, agreed that volunteering at local soup kitchens has been an “eye-opening” experience.

David Weingrad/Herald

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It was four days before Thanksgiving when Joanne Kassebaum, director of the food pantry at Christ Alive Church on East Meadow Avenue, got a call that warmed her heart.

It was from Mona Allen, a guidance counselor at East Meadow High School and adviser of the school’s World Hunger Action Club. Allen told Kassebaum that her students had bags of food waiting for her as a donation.

“It was perfect timing,” said Kassebaum, recalling that the pantry had just distributed its entire supply, and she had already begun worrying about a December shortage. “We gave away everything. Our entire lot,” she said. “We were just so blessed to get that call.”

Two days later, the Rev. Cristi Preda, the senior pastor of Christ Alive, met with members of the club at the school to pick up the donations, which filled the trunk of his SUV. “We have hope,” Preda said. “It was awesome to see the students so enthusiastic about making a difference in the community.”

The World Hunger Action Club, or WHAC, began about five years ago, and has quickly grown from a handful of members to about 40. It meets twice a month. While club members say they aim to tackle global problems, their actions benefit people in East Meadow. They volunteer at the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead, and provide holiday meals for local families in need. After Hurricane Sandy, the club delivered clothes and towels to Nassau Community College, which served as a shelter for displaced families.

It’s the hands-on, personal approach, Allen said, that gives the club its identity, and provides students with an understanding of how much need exists in their own community. “Just seeing the people you’re giving the food to makes such a difference,” said club Co-president Kerri Percoco. “The INN … shows us literally people right next door are suffering and need our help. It showed us how much we could do for them.”

The growth of a club

The club has made a spring field trip to the Mary Brennan INN, a soup kitchen in Hempstead, each of the past two years. “The first time we ever went, it was so eye-opening,” said Nicole Jaffe, a vice president. “We get to see these people who are a lot less fortunate … it could be your friend’s family. They could be in the school. You would just never know.”