Seven students in McConnellsville Elementary’s fourth grade book club just wrapped up a special book-inspired service project to benefit the Camden Food Pantry.
The students recently read the book Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. The book is the story of a family who struggles with food insecurity and homelessness. After reading the book, the students decided to help others in their own community who may be facing similar challenges.
With the guidance of school librarian Shelley Malenowski, the students set to work promoting a food drive entitled Project Crenshaw: Food for Families. They hung posters and made announcements encouraging fellow students and staff to donate items to the Camden Food Pantry. Over a ten-day period, the students collected 626 items and an additional $50 value in TOPS gift cards.
The successful drive is the most recent endeavor in an ongoing spirit of service at McConnellsville. Recently, the school became a New York School Boards Association “Applause for the Cause” award winner for the $1200 they raised for local pet charities.
Throughout this service project, the students got a taste of real-world skills while also gaining an understanding of the challenges others may face in the community. They develop public communication skills through their promotion of the project, have an opportunity to utilize critical thinking and problem solving skills, and also learn a considerable amount about setting and achieving realistic goals.
More information about the Camden Food Pantry is available at http://www.cluster13ministries.org. It is located on Main Street in the Village of Camden.