Elementary students in the Chehalis School District scored big in their annual food drive, gathering over 8,000 pounds of food.
The district-sponsored food drive will help provide food to families in need through the Greater Chehalis Food Bank, which is part of the Lewis County Food Bank Coalition, a local nonprofit organization. Its mission is to alleviate hunger in Lewis County and build a healthier community. Students at James W. Lintott and Orin C. Smith elementary schools have helped further the reach of the drive this year.
The students and their families should be proud of the effort and the impact, the district stated in a news release.
“These were awesome donations . . . and they were greatly needed,” said Linda Mullins, Greater Chehalis Food Bank coordinator.
Warehouse manager Bill Reed added, “They did an excellent job!”
In all, Chehalis students donated 11,847 items — more than double the amount gathered last year.
Every student at Lintott Elementary was able to take an item to the donation gathering area.
“All of the Lintott students participated in giving to the community as we celebrated and learned about December’s character trait, generosity and empathy,” shared Lintott Elementary Principal Brenda Pohlman.
Orin Smith Elementary students were highly motivated to participate. The competition, sponsored by the Chehalis Parent and Teacher Organization (PTO), promised pizza parties for the top classes. On Jan. 6, the first- and second-place classrooms were treated to a special lunch from Sahara Pizza:
• The third grade winning classrooms were Norman (first) and Duncan (second)
• The fourth grade winning classrooms were Lince (first) and Donahue (second)
• The fifth grade winning classrooms were Karnofski (first) and Enlow (second)
Orin Smith Elementary Principal Rachel Smith celebrated her students and the Chehalis community, saying, “The community invests so much in our students and school district, and this is one way the students can give back to the community”
PTO leadership also expressed appreciation for the generosity shown by students and families.
“We are thrilled to see our students and parents engaging in such meaningful causes and events like this through our schools,” said Chehalis PTO President Brittany Voie. “We also appreciate our community partners. Sahara Pizza in Chehalis gave us a $100 discount on pizza to reward our top-earning classrooms, and Mills General LLC, our pizza sponsor for the month of December, donated another $200 to reward our students’ hard work. It’s great to see that kind of community support all the way around.”
However, the story doesn’t end with a food drive — or a pizza party.
In fact, for many volunteers, the work is just beginning. All the food had to be sorted and organized in order to be useful. Linda Mullins reports that by Jan. 10 those 11,847 items were finally sorted.
Distribution at the food bank is every Friday, and once again Chehalis students helped out.
Each week, four to seven eighth grade students from Chehalis Middle School (CMS) volunteer at the Greater Chehalis Food Bank just half a mile away.
Kyle State, a counselor at CMS, has organized student volunteers for this year’s team. At the beginning of the year, they applied for a spot as a volunteer. This year, there are nearly 20 students involved.
“Service to our community can be fun,” State said. “Our kids seem to enjoy the people working at the food bank — and they really appreciate the help.”
Residents can stop by and see the volunteers in action. The Chehalis Food Bank is open every Friday from 12:15 to 3 p.m. In December alone, they served 1,185 people.
Many families in the Chehalis community appreciate the support.
Mullins reports, “The need is getting greater.”
According to 2020 data from Feeding America, Lewis County ranks 10th out of Washington’s 49 counties in food insecurity.
Food insecurity is the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet one’s basic needs. In Lewis County, child food insecurity is reported at nearly 20 percent — 3.8 percent higher than the national average.
Chehalis staff and students and parents and families are stepping up to help.
“Thanks to the elementary schools and their food drive, the local food bank is currently well-stocked,” the district stated. “Thanks to the volunteer programs at CMS and (W.F. West), the food is organized and getting into the right hands.”
