Longfellow Elementary Snack Pack project, food drive unites Mitchell School District
Feb. 19—MITCHELL — Longfellow Elementary School's Den B students recently spearheaded a district-wide food drive, collecting 3,584 items to benefit the Snack Pack program. The initiative, led by teacher Marissa Abts, involved elementary, middle, and high schools across the district.
Initially, the project began solely with Longfellow's second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students in Den B. However, the group soon expanded its vision to include the entire school district. Each level was assigned specific food items: elementary schools gathered various snack items, middle school students donated canned goods, and high schoolers contributed larger staples such as pancake mix, peanut butter, jelly, syrup, and cereal.
The collection drive spanned approximately two and a half weeks. After gathering donations, Den B students took the lead in collecting, sorting, and counting the contributions.
"Longfellow kids absolutely rocked this," Abts said. "They were so excited. Being able to take my kids to pick everything up and deliver it was a full-circle moment for them. It helped them see the entire process and understand how many people they were helping."
The drive is part of an ongoing tradition within Longfellow's Den B, which organizes a service project each year. Previous projects have included visiting nursing homes, supporting the local community center, holding a coin drive for pet rescue, and more. This year's effort was driven by Abts' new role as a board member for the Snack Pack program.
"I knew the Snack Pack program made a big impact, but I didn't realize how much went into it until I became a board director," Abts said. "That made it the perfect focus for our project this year."
The success of the drive highlights the commitment of students and teachers to community service, with Longfellow's Den B leading the way in supporting local families in need.
Taylor Magnuson and Lillian Miller, both students involved in the project, shared their excitement about the outcome.
"It feels good knowing that we helped a lot of people." Miller said.
"I just love making people happy and helping around," Magnuson added.
Both students expressed interest in continuing similar efforts in the future, even outside of school.
Snack Pack Director Ali Nicholson praised the students' efforts and highlighted the significance of their contribution.
"It's really cool to see kids involved and understand what the Snack Pack program is about. Not all kids realize there are others who don't have access to food whenever they want it," Nicholson said.
Nicholson estimated that the collected items would provide nearly two weeks' worth of supplies, feeding approximately 720 children.
"We serve about 468 kids every week during the school year, giving each child five items for the weekend. This donation will go a long way," she said.
Nicholson encouraged continued support for the program. "We always accept donations —monetary, food, or even saver stamps from the county fair. Every little bit helps and makes a huge difference," she said.
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