Westerville Central High School senior Mariam Melikishvili collected 90 pounds of food as part of a spring food drive she organized in honor of Global Youth Service Day last month.
Her drive, which ran for 15 days, brought in canned goods, nut butters, cereals, apple juices, rice/pasta, fruits and vegetables to the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.).
The food drive is among the latest volunteer efforts by Melikishvili, an exchange student from Georgia. Her scholarship program and placement organization requires students to volunteer in their host communities as well as take on leadership projects.
While in Westerville, she has tutored students in English as well as introduced elementary students to Georgian. She is a volunteer at the Columbus Museum of Art and the Arts Council of Westerville.
Melikishvili sought a service project based on the community’s needs and ultimately decided on a food drive.
“The gap between social classes can be unbelievably high,” she said. “On the one hand, we have people who can afford to buy anything they want when they walk into the grocery store and can stock up their whole kitchen.”
“On the other hand, there are so many families in Westerville who may not be as privileged as them and may not be able to afford any groceries for themselves or their children. There are plenty of kids who have dealt with this issue even at our high school and although I may not know them personally, I understand how challenging that must be and I want to help them.”