The annual WMM Service Club food drive took place for 10 days last month, from February 18-28. Students were encouraged to bring in non-perishable food items and other necessary household goods to support the Chester-Mendham food pantry. Competition is created between individual classes, with each item brought in earning an attributed number of points, and the top three classes who earned the most were rewarded with a bagel breakfast. Along with the bagel breakfast, many classes were incentivized by their teachers for the points gained.
Before the drive, the Chester-Mendham food pantry sent out a list of items they were accepting, along with their most needed items. Some of the food items that were in the highest demand were canned corn beef hash, cereal, chili, ground coffee, cookies/crackers, canned fruit, jelly, juice, mayonnaise, cooking oil, stew, and other canned soups. Because of the high demand, these goods were awarded higher point values. Some of the household items that were in the highest demand were deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, shampoo/conditioner, shaving cream, and toilet paper.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) awards families in need with “food stamps”, however, they do not cover the cost of hygiene products, paper goods, or cleaning products. According to the Chester-Mendham food pantry, the donations from this year’s drive supplied 60+ households with 2-4 months’ worth of necessary food and household supplies. All household supplies donated were able to help families that would otherwise not have access to them because of the SNAP restrictions.
Mrs. Brown, the co-advisor to the Service Club and faculty point person of the food drive, reflected, “This community donates because they can, which is awesome … [They are] very generous people.” When asked about why she is passionate about community service and the food drive she stated, “Our food pantry relies on those donations, and because it goes directly to our neighbors, like truly right here. All the donations stay within these local communities. I think that’s important.”
In an email from the food pantry, they stated, “We cannot thank you enough for the incredible response to the service club’s recent food drive! Prior to the drive, our shelves were virtually bare in several key categories, and thanks to your generosity, we are now in a much stronger position to serve the 60+ households in need we support.”
Congratulations to Mr. Kertesz’s 7th-period class on winning the food drive competition, and thank you to all at WMM who supported and donated to those in need!
