Fifth-graders on a mission of mercy in Havertown
HAVERFORD » As graduation nears, the fifth-grade class of Chatham Park Elementary School has embraced service to the community to mark their final year before moving on to middle school. The students are collecting food items to donate to the local food pantry.
On Wednesday the students spread out through the neighborhoods around school to leave fliers at homes alerting residents of the food drive.
“They’ve designed and distributed their own fliers and are and returning to the neighborhoods to collect the items,” said fifth-grade teacher Tom Sherbinko. “Some of the kids will be involved in delivering the items to the pantry.”
The idea came about during the school’s artist-in-residence program. Fabric artist Nelle Bush has been working with the students creating fabric tote bags. The students also hope to fill the totes with toiletries to be sent to Haiti.
On Wednesday fanned out the students through the neighborhood handing out the fliers to 500 homes. On Tuesday they will return to collect the donated items. After the collection the students will check the items for expiration dates before delivering them to the pantry.
“The food will support local families,” said fifthgrader Drew Shulman as the students prepared to hand out the fliers. “We’re helping families less fortunate than we are.”
Students are asking for residents to donate nonperishable food items which will go to TLC food pantry at Temple Lutheran Church.
The TLC Food Pantry was founded in 2016 and is run out of the Lutheran church located at 501 Brookline Blvd. in Havertown. Pastor Tim Johansen told the Delco Times in a 2017 story about the food pantry that it serves about 2025 households on a regular basis with most are from the Haverford area, though there no restrictions on residency, Johansen said.
“We just want to serve people in the community. There are over 1,700 people living in poverty in Haverford. Many are senior citizens for whom Social Security is failing,” Johansen said. Additionally, about 13 percent of children in the district receive free and reduced-priced lunches.
Summer is often a difficult time for food pantries as collections drop with residents on vacation.
Those wishing to contribute to the Chatham Park food drive are welcome to drop nonperishable items off at the school, 400 Allston Road in Havertown, during school hours Monday or Tuesday morning.