Long Meadow Elementary fifth-grade students gathered together to count change and pack food for Blessings in a Backpack (blessingsinabackpackmi.org), an organization that helps students who receive reduced or free lunch within the Rochester Community School district.
More than 30 fifth-graders, along with their parents, packed more than 225 bags of food provided in part by Meijer, to be distributed to students as meals for the weekend. The effort is one of many planned to help others in the fifth-grade community service project, “Kids Helping Kids.” In addition to packing, the students held a penny drive competition to raise funds – with an extra recess being awarded to the winning class. The $300 worth of spare change raised during the fund-drive was sorted during the evening and presented to the organization’s “Shop with a Hero” program. The donations will be used to allow three additional children to be part of the program, in which children (along with a local police officer or fire department member) shop at Meijer to “pay it forward” by purchasing gifts for others.
The service project not only raised money, it also raised the level of awareness among many fifth grade students. Long Meadow student, Ashlyn Koby said, “I liked the thought that I’m helping kids that don’t have the things that we have.” Pulling together to help others imparted a strong sense of community to the kids and the importance of giving back. Blake Reno, also a fifth grader commented, “My favorite part was sending in our change to kids who need it more than we do. I just like helping kids and it was so fun!”
Blessings in a Backpack-Michigan is a collaborative project of the North Woodward Community Foundation, participating Michigan school districts, Meijer and Committees of Concerned Citizens. To learn more, visit blessingsinabackpackmi.org.
Long Meadow Elementary is located in Rochester Hills Michigan and is one of the largest elementary schools within the Rochester Community Schools District with approximately 600 students.
About Tom and Ann Gendich