Students from San Tan Charter School collected 2,184 boxes of cereal and donated them to House of Refuge.
Students handled all of the work needed to organize and host the school-wide cereal drive, according to Holly Witte, a self-contained gifted first and second grade combo teacher at the school.
“To educate and inform the rest of the school about the House of Refuge and the cereal drive, the students researched the nonprofit organization to answer the questions ‘how, what, who, and why,’” Witte said in a release, adding that the students then worked together to write speeches to present to each class in the school.
“The students collected over 600 paper grocery bags to attach student-made flyers to send home with each student in the school to spread the word the drive. They also collected over 30 large boxes to serve as cereal collection boxes.”
Teachers and staff from San Tan first learned about House of Refuge and the work they do providing transitional housing to families who are experiencing homelessness, when they volunteered at the nonprofit last fall.
“We had such an incredible experience there, we wanted to do more for them, so we asked them what they needed, and they told us they always need cereal,” Witte said.
Carol Berhost, a first through third-grade lead teacher at San Tan’s Montessori elementary program, collaborated with Witte on the project.
“We wanted to build a bridge between our programs," she said. "When Holly mentioned a cereal drive, my class and I were eager to join her.”
She added the San Tan students were sympathetic and enthusiastic about the idea of the cereal drive.
“Our students were saddened to hear many kids just like them don’t get breakfast or lunch during the summer because they depend on school for those meals,” Berhost said.
“We mentioned a prize for the class who brought in the most boxes of cereal. However, during and after the drive, our students didn’t ask about the prize. That is probably what Ms. Witte and I are most proud of.”
At the conclusion of the cereal drive, the students hosted a school wide assembly, where they presented the 2,000-plus boxes of cereal to Jacqueline Cruz, chief development officer at House of Refuge.
As Kayla Kolar, president and CEO of House of Refuge, explained, the cereal will go into the nonprofit’s food pantry that provides food to the families that live in House of Refuge’s 88 homes.
“In addition, our food pantry is available to anyone in the community," Kolar said. "Anyone who is in need of food can come to our donation center and we will provide them with food bags for their family, no questions asked. The cereal received by San Tan Charter School may be included in these community bags as well."
Cruz said she, Kolar and everyone at House of Refuge are incredibly honored and grateful to have been chosen by San Tan Charter School as the recipient of their cereal drive donation.
“It is a testament to the generosity and compassion of the students, staff, and community," Cruz said. "We are thrilled to be able to provide nutritious breakfast options to those in need and make a positive impact on the lives of families facing homelessness."
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