Livingston’s Harrison Elementary School Earns Award After Raising Funds for 14,600 Meals

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Table to Table, New Jersey’s first food rescue organization, is recognizing Livingston’s Harrison Elementary School in Livingston with the 2023 Bernard and Geraldine Segal Foundation Award for Student Philanthropy after students raised enough funds to create 14,600 meals as part of Table to Table’s “Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch” initiative.

According to the organization, Harrison Elementary School was the top fundraiser out of dozens that participated in this initiative, which invites students to donate what they would spend on lunch for a day, week, month or more to help Table to Table reduce food waste and feed those who need it most.

“The power harnessed by these Harrison Elementary students to be true community heroes—reducing food waste, while also feeding thousands of New Jersey neighbors facing food insecurity—is nothing short of incredible,” said Heather Thompson, executive director at Table to Table. “With this impressive level of community leadership, the future is truly bright.”

Harrison Elementary School teacher Sara Calabrese, who also serves as student council co-advisor, explained that the school has been an ongoing supporter of Table to Table’s Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch initiative because “preserving the environment and reducing food insecurity are two incredibly important issues to the students of Harrison Elementary.”

“Our Student Council played a critical role in mobilizing the student body to support the program,” said fellow teacher and co-advisor Stephanie Siu. “The results are impressive, and we are all honored to be recognized for our efforts.”

Table to Table collects fresh and perishable food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve people experiencing hunger in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties.

According to the organization, the funds raised through Harrison Elementary School will rescue and deliver enough food for 14,600 healthy meals for those in need throughout Northern New Jersey. 

The Bernard and Geraldine Segal Foundation—which established a challenge grant of $30,000 among all Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch participating schools in Northern New Jersey—has since doubled all funds raised during the 2023 initiative.

Additional sponsors of this mission included: Presenting Sponsors BD and Inserra Supermarkets; Gold Sponsor Kearny Bank; Silver Sponsors Aspen, Cross River Bank, Firmenich Charitable Foundation, Takasago and The Children’s Place; and Bronze Sponsors DoorDash, Freedom Bank, Movado and PNC Bank. To learn more or to make a contribution, visit www.tabletotable.org.

Credit: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/livingston/sections/education/articles/livingston-s-harrison-elementary-school-earns-award-after-raising-funds-for-14-600-meals