On Friday, January 20, Quakers collected over 300 pounds of food for Restock the Pantry Night. Students were encouraged to bring canned food and nonperishable goods to contribute to Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a program that supports the local community.
\tSophomore Athletic Team Leader Demi Bolin developed the idea after visiting a nonprofit organization, First Tee Innovators Forum, in Dallas, Texas. “I was one of the 28 teens across the country to get invited, and we each developed community service projects there,” said Bolin. “They wanted us to make projects that we could continue and that would greatly impact our local communities.”
\tWhile Bolin was the leader of the project, she couldn’t have done it without her family and teammates. “Contributors to this project would be my parents helping get everything organized and Parker Louks making the poster everyone saw on social media,” she said. “Also, my teammates, Eva Mennonno and Kaelin Siddons, who volunteered at the actual booth.”
Bolin explained that Restock the Pantry Night was a success, adding that collecting any amount of food for people in need is a success. “It’s important to contribute to events like this because there are many people in communities without food or a place to stay, and we don’t realize how fortunate we are,” said Bolin. “We are helping people in the community, and one more canned good we can collect is one they didn’t have before we started.”
Story by Lily Saylor