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Source: The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.mini storageSept. 27--BETHALTO -- Students at Our Lady Queen of Peace School showed their compassion for children in need by mounting a food drive based on Madison County Catholic Charities' recent plea for help in The Telegraph.With food items still pouring in, Principal Eve Remiszewski estimated on Thursday that students have collected approximately 1,200 food items over the last 10 days. She expects hundreds of additional items to come in Friday, the final day of the drive."Every year, these kids continue to amaze me as to how they pull together to make a difference in other people's lives," she said. "They put everything they have into service projects."The idea for the impromptu food drive came from an article published on Sept. 3 in The Telegraph, outlining that "food insecurity is becoming an increasing reality" for many people, particularly those who live in rural areas.In the article, community services supervisor Jan Manns said Catholic Charities has been seeking partnerships with parishes, churches, community organizations or existing food pantries.Parent Mary Stacks received a call from her sister, Jeannie Tarter, who told her how deeply the request had resonated with her and how strongly she felt that they must try to address this overwhelming need."So, I asked Mrs. R. if we could do a food drive," Stacks said. "My sister offered a sundae party to the winning class as an incentive."Stacks, aided by her daughter Allie, 12, made graph charts so that each grade level could track their progress and keep an eye on their "competition."By the end of the first week, Stacks said she needed to extend the charts upward with additional sheets of poster board because the response had been so generous."When we heard that kids were happy to go to school because they knew it was the only place they could eat lunch, it made me feel sad," seventh-grader Allie Stacks said. "We knew 迷你倉e needed to do something fast so we could get them something to eat."The seventh-grade class has been in charge of collecting items from the classrooms, counting, graphing and then transporting the items to the gym."I think this is a really good project because it teaches responsibility," seventh-grader Jenna Zacha said. "Even little kids learn that they can help other people."On behalf of Catholic Charities, Manns is scheduled to pick up the items on Friday and talk to the students about the growing problem of food insecurity at a school-wide assembly that will be held at 11:30 a.m.The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 14.5 percent of all U.S. households have had a recent experience of not knowing where their next meal is coming from. According to the report, there are more than 140,000 people in the 28-county Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield who are considered food-insecure.A donation of $60 provides a two-week supply of food for an average-sized family.In a final gesture of philanthropy, the students will help load the truck, enabling the food to be taken to a site determined to have the greatest need."I saw two kids standing in front of the charts, and I heard a little kindergartner tell a fourth-grader that his class was going to feed the most hungry kids, which was so heartwarming," Stacks said. "He didn't say that his class was going to win, just that they were going to feed the most kids, so he understood the point of what we are doing this for. It made me want to cry."To donate or for more information on Catholic Charities' new refrigerated Mobile Food Pantry that can make deliveries to rural areas, call Manns at (618) 462-0634, or go to the Catholic Charities website at cc.dio.org and on Facebook.kbassett@thetelegraph.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) Visit The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) at .thetelegraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉