Counting to 100 while helping others
02/09/2015 10:22AM ● By J. Chambless
First graders from Assumption BVM School drop off their food donation to The Bridge on Feb. 6.
The 39 first graders at Assumption BVM School in West Grove learned to count to 100 – and beyond – over the past few weeks as they gathered food to donate to a local food cupboard.
On Friday afternoon, some of the students, their parents and teachers gathered in the parking lot of The Bridge, a food cupboard housed in the the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene, to drop off about 160 cans that they had collected.
Teacher Linda Holohan said the project began during Catholic Schools Week. "One of the things we were doing was outreach," she said as the students eagerly unpacked the cans and boxes in the basement of the church. "We wanted to do something besides just counting. We knew about The Bridge, so our goal was 100 cans, but we went above and beyond."
While most first graders always do some sort of activity to mark the 100th day of school – and to practice their counting skills – the food donation has been such a hit that it will likely be repeated next year, Holohan said.
The food cupboard serves between 50 and 75 families each week, for a total of about 600 families last year. Nine churches, community organizations and the Avon Grove High School Humanitarian Club contribute to stocking the site and opening it to needy families.
To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail [email protected].
