To celebrate what Tracy Area High School teacher Kari Fransen calls “a month full of gratitude,” students in both public schools have been collecting items for the Tracy Area Kitchen Table Food Shelf.
Students in the district have done this in previous years, but this year, both the high school and the elementary worked at the same time in order to donate a larger amount.
The food shelf competition ran from Nov. 10-20, and the products were delivered to the food shelf last Friday.
In the high school, the grades competed against each other, and each grade had a designated household item. Seventh- and eighth-graders were to bring showering items; freshmen and sophomores were supposed to bring dental care items; juniors were in charge of baby supplies; and seniors took care of garnering kitchen items. This is the first year in a few years that TAHS has contributed to the food shelf. “It was a bit of a slow start, with few donations; after a few days, we altered our original plans, by eliciting the help of our Media Center Guide, Vicky Rasmussen,” Fransen said. “She helped with mobile carts, as well as posters, and a plan. The carts were showcased in the media center, which helped students see what grades were bringing the most. There were also a few email blasts to families, so parents and guardians were aware that this will happening. “
The students who donated brought in a lot of items, Fransen said, but there were only four or five donations per grade. In all, 219 items were donated. The student council counted the items and organized them as well.
“We will be working out the challenges on this activity and are hopeful that next year will be even better,” Fransen said.
