East Central exceeds its goal
Elementary students collect hundreds more food items for the school’s food drive.
East Central Elementary’s faculty and their EC Leadership Team surpassed their goal to collect 2,000 nonperishable foods items for their yearly canned food drive by 686 items.
The goods will be contributed to the Salvation Army, the We Care Service Center and Rome Action Ministries.
“We sent a letter home with all of our students this year to help us collect donated food for our Backpack Buddies program,” said Principal Kristin Teems.
“The program started through a partnership with Rome Action Ministries where we send food home with students so that they will have something to eat over the weekend,” Teems continued. “When we identify a need for selected students, we are able to count on Rome Action Ministries to come through for us every single week with food to pack inside the backpacks.”
The backpacks include food that can be used as dinner items, side dishes and snack foods. All backpacks are equipped discreetly before the child leaves school on Friday afternoon.
Part of what makes the can-a-thon so special is that East Central is able to return the sentiment and donate food to Rome Action Ministries through their can drive. RAM dropped off 113 Backpack Buddies kits before loading Teems’ van with 900 food items from East Central’s can drive.
Dawn Hayes, volunteer and program coordinator for Bagwell Food Pantry/ SuperPacks Action Ministries Northwest Region, said that her organization’s partnership with East Central and other schools is what makes this community special.
“Our partnership with East Central is one that is longstanding,” said Hayes. “All of my children went to East Central, so this school is very dear to me and my family. When we started our SuperPack program, I knew there was a need at East Central because of my personal connection with the school. I knew there were kids who came in on Monday hungry, because I would often substitute teach at East Central.”
RAM and their SuperPack program is now in its 10th year, nine of those years spent working with East Central. The nonprofit serves over 1,000 families per month in the Rome and Floyd County area.