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High School Students Self-Organize Food-Packing Event; Will Deliver 10,000 Meals to St.
Summary:
For the past six months, 30 high school juniors and seniors from throughout Greater Hartford collaborated to organize a food-packing event, which will held on the morning of Saturday, April 23. The students raised more than $2,500 dollars and will pack 10,000 meals at the CREC Discovery Academy in Wethersfield to benefit the food bank at St. Francis Hospital. From there, they will bring the meals to the Mount Sinai campus of St. Francis Hospital on Blue Hills Avenue in Hartford.
The students, part of the statewide leadership group Capitol Region Interdistrict Leadership Academy, organized the event. The Capitol Region Interdistrict Leadership Academy is a program managed by CREC and aims to provide a diverse forum for students to practice ethical and collaborative leadership through research and community service.
Before the students came together to formalize and carry out the service project, they participated in a week-long formal leadership program at the Colorado Outward Bound School in Leadville, Colorado. Wanting to build off the lessons they learned in Colorado and in follow-up sessions throughout the school year, the group identified hunger as a major concern in their local community and chose to raise funds for the food-packing event.
In March, the students visited the Joan C. Dauber Food Bank to hear from its founder and namesake about the organization's mission, activities, and major areas of need.
In order to raise the $2,500, students asked fellow classmates, teachers, friends, family, and local businesses for financial support. In addition, they hosted “Benefit Nights” at Chipotle, Bertucci’s, and other area restaurants.
Participating students reside in 22 communities and attend 24 high schools in the Greater Hartford area.
