Harrison Students Support “Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch”

The Harrison School Student Council has supported the “Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch” initiative of Table to Table for the past seven years. Recently, the Tribune interviewed four members of the Student Council’s executive board, advisors, and the school principal, Daniel Garcia, to learn more about their efforts to provide meals for the hungry.

According to Garcia, Harrison Elementary raised enough funds this year to provide 9,100 meals for those in need. The fundraiser is crucial because many people do not have enough food to eat, as fifth-grader Anushka Nikhil explained. The students collect a considerable amount of money, with one dollar providing up to ten meals.

Fifth-grader Johanna Saland noted that helping others and making them happy is the primary motivation behind the fundraiser. Fourth-grader Ruhi Biswas added that it is essential to help those who are struggling when you have more than enough.

The director of marketing communications for Table to Table, Maria Sinopoli, expressed gratitude to the students for their contributions. She emphasized that their efforts helped get food to people who desperately needed it.

Despite the pandemic, the Bag a Lunch project continued with a few adjustments, according to Student Council advisor Lauren Daugherty. They used a QR code for virtual donations and set up a landing page for families to contribute.

To raise awareness, the Student Council representatives visited classrooms and explained the organization’s needs and objectives. They distributed brown bags to collect donations and put up posters to inform people of the fundraiser’s purpose. The students also gave speeches about the impact of their donations on the community.

Table to Table is a “Food Rescue” organization that collects surplus fresh and nutritious food from grocery stores, caterers, and distributors. They distribute the food to various organizations such as veteran’s homes, day care centers, and soup kitchens.

The Student Council also visited the Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors food pantry, where they made sandwiches, decorated bags, and organized food items.

Looking ahead, the Student Council plans to brainstorm their next community service project. The advisors suggested that the project should aim to help the Harrison community and school family.

Individuals, business employees, and students can donate the equivalent of their lunch money to the “Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch” initiative to help feed the hungry. For more information, visit www.tabletotable.org.

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