Bennett is a small rural community located in central North Carolina. The official population is 282. Imagine our surprise when we got the call to come and help Highfalls Elementary School pack 10,000–12,000 meals for hungry children in Haiti and the US. Here’s their story:
Last summer, Karen Henley, a math teacher at Highfalls, came to Feed the Hunger’s hometown to pack food with the youth group at her church. She quickly got the vision and could see her school getting behind this worthy endeavor.
The Beta Club was immediately enlisted to help, and they sprang into action. With 260 children at the school, finding the people was not going to be a problem. Instead, raising the $2,800 needed to produce 10,000 meals would be the biggest hurdle.
So they came up with a theme: We Are Superheroes! Making a Change, Fighting Hunger! But they soon learned that the objective was not just fighting hunger, but also fighting apathy and indifference.
Children wore superhero outfits. They put coin jars in each classroom, and they were given a weekly update on how much money they had raised. They hosted “Crazy Hat Day,” sold valentines, sold arm bracelets, and even had a staff “jeans day” where teachers contributed money so they could wear jeans to school.
They sought out involvement from local churches and the community. Even the local high school Future Farmers of America held a fishing tournament to raise funds. It was a thorough and greatly executed plan to get EVERYONE involved in this Packathon.
So, when last Friday finally rolled around, those elementary school children paid for and packed 12,480 meals for hungry children in Haiti and across the USA!
Karen Henley commented, “The Beta Club tries to do a service project every year. This was the biggest and most successful ever!” She added, “I really appreciate you and your organization for allowing us to pack. I know in the whole scheme of things our impact was small. But in this small community, your impact was huge!”
We are greatly encouraged by the children at Highfalls Elementary School. You guys are true superheroes in the eyes of Feed the Hunger! Thank you all.
Jim Gurley | Director of Development
