FOOD PANTRY HELPS STUDENTS — Student council members at Indian Creek Middle School did their part to help peers and their families by holding a food drive to stock the school’s pantry. Nearly 2,000 items were collected to support not only the middle school, but was offered to the Indian Creek High School pantry in order to help its students during a time of need. -- Contributed

MINGO JUNCTION — Students attending Indian Creek Middle School collected donations of food toward its food pantry to assist those students and their families who are in need.

Those serving on the student council worked throughout November to stock the pantry shelves with a wide variety of goods so some students would not go hungry.

Efforts began when Vice President Ella Hall suggested combining a food drive with a school spirit week. Adviser Staci Copeland said 1,929 items were collected, including macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles, ravioli, peanut butter, jelly and packs of sandwich crackers.

“Ella discussed it with the seventh- and eighth-grade student council officers,” Copeland explained.

It was decided students and their families at the middle school would stock the school pantry and those students and families who are in need would be able to utilize its services.

“The price of groceries is a challenge for many these days and we wanted to support our community,” Copeland commented. “The students decided on a specific list of items that are selected the most.”

Hall said a themed-week fundraiser was conducted, where every day, a new theme would be celebrated.

One day celebrated students’ favorite holiday, the next was mathletes versus athletes, a Disney Day was held and a color war featured fifth-graders wearing blue, sixth-graders donning green, seventh-graders sporting orange and eighth-graders dressed in red.

“It’s fun,” stated Treasurer Lindley Simmons. “This year we’re doing a lot of things.”

“It’s pretty fun being able to do this and everyone can accomplish it,” added President Makayla Crouch.

Copeland noted the student organization offered extra donations to those at the high school.

“All of the credit goes to the student council officers who conceived the idea, created flyers, advertised it, took pictures of students participating in spirit week, counted and collected the items and stocked the shelves,”Copeland said.

“I am extremely proud of these young girls and boys who showed true leadership qualities by organizing and carrying out a plan to assist their school community in offering food and fun, modeling great character throughout this process,” she concluded. “We would like to do this again because it was a fun way to stock our food pantry for students in need.”