Student food drive fills a need

The middle school leadership class at JC Thomas is learning about filling a need in the community while putting the focus on others with the holiday season approaching. For five years, Mrs. Badger’s Leadership class has organized a food drive to benefit the local food bank. She teaches her students that small acts can create a significant impact.

The class of fourteen students has promoted the food drive to the middle and elementary school classrooms, encouraging them to donate to the food drive by creating a contest. Food items are given a point value, with items that are high in protein or a complete meal, have the highest net. For example, a can of soup or peanut butter is worth ten points. Other items that are shelf stable are welcomed and receive points. Each class competes to earn the most points, yielding the winner an ice cream party.

“The value that comes from the food drive is in thinking of others and thinking outside of ourselves, especially during the holidays,” shared Mrs. Badger. She has collaborated with Tom Gartski and St. Vincent de Paul to engage students in a community service project. Items benefit both Cathlamet and Longview communities.

The leadership class does many projects to give students an opportunity to serve the greater good. In addition to the annual food drive, they hosted a dodgeball tournament to raise money to purchase Thanksgiving turkey dinners from the Cathlamet Market to assist families in need over the upcoming holiday. The goal is to provide four dinners to local families.

These acts of kindness are not random and provide essential skills in developing quality leaders in future citizens of the community. In addition, students practice math skills, learn how to organize an event and obtain public relation skills as they work with multiple groups of students. The big benefit is seeing students think of others in need to address food security in the community.