From November 3 to 14, Poland Local Schools collected food for the district wide food drive. This year, we saw highly impressive numbers of canned goods, boxed food, and more. The students, staff, and parents all chipped in to bring over 17,000 items in. The Bulldogs are full of pride, as this is a record breaking year! We spoke to Teacher and Student Council Advisor, Ms. Kerpelis.

Kerpelis encouraged everyone to donate to the food drive, as it goes to the people in need within our community.

She tells us she never wants to “think of someone going hungry when we can so easily help by donating even a little bit.”

The tens of thousands of pantry goods stay within the community at the food pantry at Poland United Methodist Church. It helps out anyone in the area who might not have enough for their family, especially with the holidays coming up. 

Ms. Kerpelis expresses her gratitude for all the participation this year.

The food drive makes an unimaginable difference in the lives of so many within the community.

She “hope[s] students learn to always be kind and give to anyone needing a helping hand.”

She supervised and assisted the student council in loading and unloading the food products in and out of a storage truck and to the pantry. We spoke to student council members Lailiah Hobbs, Isabella DiPasqua, and Carter Iberis. 

The food drive gives students a way to interact and feel good about helping others. Hobbs says that it makes her “feel good knowing I’m helping my community in a proactive way!”. 

Giving back is a skill and blessing that will travel with you through life, Iberis tells us why it’s important to teach the younger generations. He says the food drive “teaches younger kids why it is so important to think about others.”

For our high school, it is equally important to donate. DiPasqua tells us about how it helps students feel good about giving back.

She says the food drive “allows ordinary students to take part in something greatly admired by the community.”

The students have independent motivations and wishes which drove them to donate to the cause. For example, in previous years, we were able to supply the food bank with enough food to last though the whole year. All students hope to surpass this goal, as it is a great honor to support our community.

The food drive unifies the school community as we all come together to help the people in the neighborhood. DiPasqua tells us the food drive functions through unity and “ provides a sense of community and companionship.”

The pride from the students and staff is overflowing through the district. Iberis says he is proud of “how many people participated and how quick the numbers added up.”

The food drive reached extraordinary numbers within the last week and ended up beating the record of the past few years. 

Overall, the food drive is a great way to give back to everyone within the community, and teaches valuable lessons that are beneficial for all students to learn. The planning and effort that goes into the annual event by staff and students shows dedication to helping others and brings the district together through compassion and generosity.