ANSONIA — Ansonia Junior High School seventh-grader Gavin Kelch said he understands the purpose of the school’s food drive.
“It’s good for the people that need it, and it’s good to see people help each other out,” he said.
Ansonia Seventh-Grade Language Arts Teacher Jodi Bennett is also the Junior High/High School Student Council Adviser. She said this year’s annual food drive was sponsored by the Junior High Student Council, but all student council members are involved.
“Part of the reason we do this is for the student council members to give community service,” Bennett said. “In doing so, they are giving back to their own community and realizing that not everybody can always put food on the table. The Ansonia Methodist Church provides free meals for the community, and that is all through donations. We want to help support them.”
Ansonia Methodist Church Communications Director Don Moyers said the school is a big help to the church’s endeavors.
“In fact, the school, the boy scouts, girl scouts, and other members of the community have all been a big help,” Moyers said. “It is a big operation, and we need all the help we can get.”
Other churches help with the donations and volunteers to serve all of Darke County, Moyers said. The food pantry is open every Monday, and for those interested in the pantry services call Moyers at 937-338-4798. At last count about 800 people receive pantry services, including vouchers for other supplies. In addition, the church has a free community meal the first and third Wednesdays of the month, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
“I enjoy helping people,” Moyers said. “That is the way with our church; they like to help people.”
The student council collected more than 400 items for the church, according to Bennett. As an incentive, each food item was given a ticket on which students wrote their names. The tickets, separated by grade, were drawn on Monday to give the winning ticket holder from each grade a $25 gift card. In addition, the winning grade will receive doughnuts, sometime this week.
Ansonia Junior/Senior High Principal Jim Robson said he thinks it is important for students at a young age to realize that there are people out there that are less fortunate than them.
“The giving spirit is definitely a necessary attribute that kids need to learn,” Robson said. “They have to understand that you need to be kind to everyone, no matter what their status is, and everyone deserves dignity. I think it’s good that Jodi is teaching the kids the proper things, especially this time of season, that it’s great to have a giving heart.”
