On Saturday, November 12, 39 students from Westerville Central High School, along with a dozen teachers and parents, partnered with The Pack Shack (www.thepackshack.org) to pack meals for hungry families in Westerville. The event was organized by a small group of students who work in an intervention room each day for academic and community support. The pupils teamed up with the Key Club, Renaissance Club, and Young Life to raise over $500 within the Westerville Central community. In less than an hour, more than 5,500 meals were prepared and packaged. They will be delivered to food pantries in local churches, as well as to the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.) for hungry families in need this holiday season.
Most of the students who worked on developing this activity do not have opportunities to participate in extracurricular programs. This event provided the chance to not only get involved at Central, but also to help build a sense of compassion for those in need. The flyer that was used to promote the event was drawn by a student in the program and utilized to raise awareness. This marked the beginning of a number of activities that are being planned by the group. Next up is making blankets to give to the Ronald McDonald House. “Giving back to others has helped build empathy within our group and has allowed us to focus on helping others rather than focusing on ourselves,” said Intervention Specialist Eric Nickel.