Grace Christian Students Package Food, Aid Food Bank

by Jonathan Weaver

Each month, the Armstrong County Community Action Foodbank tries to add one common staple to its distribution list – macaroni and cheese.

And, a local school made sure Friday enough of the comfort food was available for nearly a year.

About 80 Grace Christian School students in West Kittanning spent their Friday morning packing 14,000 macaroni and cheese meals for the local foodbank.

During the past two years, students have packaged 10,000 meals based on local business donations, but a last-minute large anonymous donor gave enough to go over the top this year.

Interim Principal Darlene Edwards said the new total certainly didn’t discourage students.

“They just jumped right in,” Edwards said.

Outreach Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Managers Michele and Bobby Polito said they have seen children and adults of all ages pack food for the less fortunate – whether it be locally or overseas.

“We’ve had families with kids of all different ages – anywhere from two years old to 100 years old,” Michele said. “The little guys can put stickers on the bags and stand on a stool and pour food through a funnel.

“There’s a lot of hands-on involvement. The elementary and junior high kids absolutely love it.”

Michele, a native of York County, and her husband of 27 years have been on-board with the Iowa-based nonprofit for the past three years and average a million meals per year.

Michele said Outreach is used to overseeing much larger food packing efforts, such as 1.2 million meals packed on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on September 11.

The managers packed 40,000 meals with a high school Thursday in Maryland before driving to Kittanning.

Besides working regionally in Sewickley, Cranberry and with the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation, it was their first time in Armstrong County – but they were impressed.
“(Grace Christian students) (were) very careful with how they (did) it – they did great,” Michele said. “I’m very happy. These guys are awesome. The people who get this food should feel assured that it was packed well.”
Each plastic bag of food contained six servings and between 354 and 355 grams in each bag, enriched with vitamins, minerals and protein.
Several local businesses donated money to purchase the food. Each bag of macaroni costs 25 cents each.

“It was much more community involvement,” Edwards said.

Seventh-grader Natalie Peffer, of Rural Valley, scooped out soy while eighth grader Jessi Buchanan, of Apollo, scooped macaroni and 11th-grader Jared Emminger, of Kittanning, filled each bag.

Emminger said he performed each job Friday – including helping preschoolers.

It was Buchanan’s first year helping.

“I think its fun,” Buchanan said.

Junior/Senior High Principal Charlie Atwood’s 7th-12th grade students packed food during the entire morning.

Atwood also coordinated student operations for the past three years.

Students boxed all food by 12:20PM, 40 minutes ahead of Atwood’s goal.

One of the reasons students might have finished early? They were treated to an all-afternoon gym class once finished.

“Their goal (was) as much soccer time as possible,” Atwood laughed.

Community Action Food Bank Coordinator Amanda Powers said about 1,200 families receive assistance from the food bank each month. She hoped the macaroni and cheese will be available for Tuesday’s food distribution, including at the former Toy’s Golden Dawn in East Franklin Township.

She said Grace Christian School is the only place she has participated in a packing event during her tenure.