South Jersey school district goes above and beyond to help students and families in need
The spirit of giving is alive and well, and one school district in South Jersey is going above and beyond for its community.
Staff and student volunteers in the Collingswood School District spent their Wednesday preparing boxes of food and supplies for families in need.
For the past three years, they've gathered twice a month inside the middle school's cafeteria, where donated food from the Collingswood Panther Pantry is given to more than 20 families a month.
The items range from canned goods to hygiene products.
"We know as teachers, as our school community, a student who is hungry is a student who is not learning," said Arden Niessner, teacher and coordinator for the pantry.
Niessner says the food is donated to students and families within the Collingswood and Oaklyn school districts.
"This is a passion of mine, personally … This is a way for me to give back to the community I love here. Us here at Collingswood, we are a family, so we help each other out and so this is a way to give to the families," Niessner said.
Niessner says the pantry is also a teaching moment for the student volunteers who are learning the importance of giving back.
"It's really just a good feeling of helping people whenever I can," said Chris Schimanski, a 10th grader at Collingswood High School.
Schimanski has been volunteering since the 8th grade. He says being a part of the effort will have an impact on him for years to come.
"It's really just giving me an idea of how I want to carry out the rest of my life. I'll always have this of helping people whenever I can, however I can, whenever they need it," he said.
It's a lesson that goes far beyond the classroom, but one that will stay with these kids for life.
