Glenwood Landing Elementary students in the 5th Grade Student Government Club and 4th Grade Community Service Club worked together before the holidays to organize a food drive after learning about food insecurity in their area during the school year.
The two groups teamed up to prepare an interactive slide show that was presented to every class, Kindergarten through fifth grade. As club members spread awareness teaching younger peers, they also emphasized food dignity. The club members also encouraged schoolmates to perform chores to earn their own money so they could purchase the food themselves.
The young activists also inspired everyone to create and decorate NOSH KFIP brown bags as they explained the importance of the program. KFIP is NOSH’s Kids Food Independence Program, an initiative designed to feed children through ‘to go’ bags on days when school is not in session.
Currently over 750 children in the community are fed weekly. The brown-bagged breakfasts and lunches are meant to promote dignity and uplift those in need through cheerful decor.
This school-wide event kicked off the food drive and resulted in dozens and dozens of boxes of nonperishable goods donated by the children and families of Glenwood Landing. Hundreds of KFIP bags were also created.
Club Members sorted, packed and loaded the goods. They then traveled on a field trip to NOSH in Glen Cove to serve as volunteers where they created more KFIP ‘to go’ bags and filled them with breakfast and lunch items. They toured the pantry, discovering how the food is sorted onto shelves and distributed to those in need.
