ELEELE — Friday was the last day before Eleele School enjoys the spring break and students turned over more than 500 pounds of food to the Kauai Independent Food Bank. “We do two food drives a year,” said Carol Crouch,
ELEELE — Friday was the last day before Eleele School enjoys the spring break and students turned over more than 500 pounds of food to the Kauai Independent Food Bank.
“We do two food drives a year,” said Carol Crouch, teacher adviser for the Eleele School student council. “The drives always coincide with the last day before a school break so the families who need help have that resource during the break.”
Kelvin Moniz, director of KIFB, said the food collected by the Eleele School student council indeed helps families and keiki.
“This amount represents about a week’s supply,” Moniz said. “Part of the food goes to help the Keiki Cafe and Backpack programs and others to the kupuna program. You are helping the keiki not go hungry, especially in your community, and more.”
Crouch said of the two food drives, one goes directly to The Salvation Army, Hanapepe Corps, because it is in the school’s immediate community.
The second one, distributed to the KIFB, was voted on by the student council to be given as a community service project.
Fred Rose, principal of the school of 480 students, said the student council spearheads several community service projects through the school year.
In January, the student council raised funds to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
“We sent fliers around asking people to contribute to our ‘Dollars for Disaster,’” said Braelyn Cayaban, student body president. “Our student council designed and made the fliers, and after we distributed them, collected and counted the money from students who wished to donate to help the people. We asked that students donate a dollar, or whatever they could, if they wished to help.”
The schoolwide effort raised $787.08, which was turned over for the typhoon victims through the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Moniz said the food from the Eleele School drive will go toward the KIFB Spring Healthy Food and Fund drive, which has a goal of $40,000 and 40,000 pounds of food.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
