Heritage students working to end hunger

The entire student body of The Heritage School in Newnan recently came together for a school-wide service project to help end hunger.

Students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grade worked together on a project to help “Stop Hunger Now,” an organization dedicated to ending hunger across the world.

Led by the Key Club, students raised money over the course of the school year to purchase meals to be packaged and shipped to families in need. Every grade level and department on campus contributed to the cause with fundraisers that included half court shots at basketball games, a coin collection by Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, gift basket raffles by the Middle School students, Open Mic Night from the Fine Arts Department, and Dress Down Days in the Upper School.

“In my 41 years of teaching, this was the most amazing school community service event I have ever been a part of,” said Gina Watkiss, Key Club Sponsor and Science Department Chair. “Everyone  worked together and loved every minute of it. It was a great day to be a (Heritage) Hawk.”

Through their collective efforts, Heritage students raised over $4,000, which purchased more than 14,000 meals. On April 22, the students worked in teams to package 14,472 meals in two hours in the school’s T. Leigh Sanders Gymnasium. The boxed meals will be distributed to feeding programs who partner with Stop Hunger Now in developing countries.

“Everyone had a hand in making this happen,” Key Club President Maggie Crosby said. “It was great for us as students to be made aware of what is going on in the world and to be able to do something as a school to help.

“The students were excited and loved the whole experience – from fundraising to the meal-packaging event,” she added. “The Upper School students enjoyed working with our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students to package the food. We definitely want to do this again next year.”