When Francis P. Donnelly Elementary School Social Worker Stacey Martin-Stilloe helped to launch a food drive in early February, she set a goal of collecting 100 food items per week for three weeks, and send 300 food items to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Count her among the pleasantly amazed when after the food drive ended, volunteers from the Food Bank loaded into their truck 1,267 food items weighing 1,042 pounds!
"We had a food drive kick off assembly February 9, and I talked to the entire school to raise excitement and let them know what the food drive was all about. We did fun food facts and shared with the students the importance of helping others and explained to them where the donated food would go to like the back pack programs at 41 different schools and many of our local food pantries," Stilloe said. Stilloe's enthusiasm sparked a fun competition between students and teachers to see who could collect the most food.
While the food drive officially ended March 2, food kept coming in until the day the Food Bank workers brought their truck to the school March 9. Before the truck got there, four kindergarten students - Luke Lawrence, Penelope Rose Johnson, Aiden Ayers and Landon Petrus - got together for a photo with the donated food.
To celebrate their generosity, students received certificates, CUBS cash and a popsicle (handed out personally by Mrs. Stilloe).
Mrs. Stilloe with the boxes and bags filled with food ready to be loaded onto the Food Bank truck.
Food bank workers prepare to load the donated food items onto the truck!