PCHS students feed families
Nino Sylmar, SWT Correspondent
12-02-2009
Pulaski County High School students and staff members have no time to mull on the negative side of food shortages during Thanksgiving just passed. Instead, the focus was on the spirit of giving that seems to permeate the entire school system as they tried to find ways and means to alleviate the painful possibility that there are families who will have very little to eat come Thanksgiving Day.
Julia Bennett, PCHS guidance counselor, who coordinated the food drive, started approaching various organizations within the school system, the staff and the parents of the students to participate in the food drive, a month or so ago. “I have to tell you,” she said Friday, while the students were assembled at the vocational building to unload the truck and assemble the food boxes. “These kids are learning early on what it feels like to give, not only materially, but of their time and energy.” And thanks to the contributors and the effort of the 75 students who unloaded the truck and packaged the individual food boxes, some 66 families in Pulaski County will able to sit down at their Thanksgiving table and partake of a 10-12 pound roasted turkey with stuffing mix, yams, potatoes, elbow macaroni, onions to spice up the stuffing, apples and oranges and frozen pie for dessert. “Each box is worth $25,” volunteered Gina Miano, student counselor who helped round up the students for the project. She adds that that the food items were bought from Share Virginia warehouse at discounted prices with money collected from the student body, their parents, and staff.
The recipients of the Thanksgiving food boxes have already been determined. “We know which families are the most in need,” Bennett said. Bennett thanks the clubs within the school system who gave with their open heart and wallets that included: Television Productions, Building Trades, Electricity Classes, Science Department, English Department, Welding/Small Engine; Child Care; Occupational Foods; Athletic Training Class; Yearbook; Softball Boosters; Touchdown Club; Cheer Boosters; FBLA; FFA; DECA; Tech Education Center; FCCLA and the Lady Cougar Basketball Association. Individual givers Bennett mentioned were: Carol Bennett; Annyce Levy/Debra Tatman; Diana Trump; Debra Farley; BJ Willard; Linda Hanshew; Valerie Sellers; Mary and Jon Cheverton; Mary Rash; Joseph Hester; Paige and John Cash; Virginia Fizer; Pam and Mark Hanks; Valerie Johnston; Pam Hall; Julia and Herb Bennett; Chrissi and Scott Vest; Cheryl Lewis; Angie Harrell; Tony Miano; JNP O’Brien; Brenda Bishop; Scott Arnett; Michael Miano; Michelle and Steven Thacker; Sara Tilson-Miano and Peter ad Julie Anderson. “I just can’t thank these people enough,” Bennett concluded. “Without them, this drive would not have been successful.”
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