Twice each month, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) McKinney-Vento program provides a food distribution event at Melrose and Topaz elementary schools. PYLUSD partners with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to give fresh produce to the district’s less fortunate students and families.
Under the direction of Travis Ranch Middle School teacher Paola Hellwig, students from the Travis Ranch WE Club collected over 1,700 food items for the Wednesday, Nov. 18, food distribution at Topaz Elementary School.
The “WE” in the school’s WE Club is not an acronym — it stands for “WE can do anything we set our minds to do. WE can make a difference in the world.” As advisor for the WE Club, Mrs. Hellwig has actively involved students in service opportunities impacting the local and global community. Students are brought together for the purpose of changing the world through kindness, collecting donations and fundraising. Under her careful guidance, students learn to shift their focus from “ME to WE.”
Travis Ranch students worked hard gathering canned and packaged foods. Instead of collecting candy for Halloween, the students fanned out and collected food for the community. The WE Club officers then came to Topaz to help pass out the food they collected.
Everyone was grateful for their generosity and hard work. The Travis Ranch students sorted, organized and distributed all of the 1,700 items to Topaz families.
One WE Club officer commented, “Today’s experience has changed my view of everything. It was heartwarming to see the looks on their faces while distributing the food, but, at the same time, it was heartbreaking. Nobody should have to ever say that they have no food. It has changed my views by thinking of the people at the distribution every time I say, ‘I’m hungry.'”
Jon Matson, PYLUSD’s McKinney-Vento liaison added, “It’s amazing to see our district’s students come together and work hard to help out other students who are less fortunate. We really are a family, and, once again, our district’s generosity is exemplary.”
The PYLUSD McKinney-Vento program provides assistance to children enrolled in the district who are experiencing transitional living situations due to financial hardship.
Mrs. Hellwig commented that she would be back again in the spring to bring even more Travis Ranch students to Topaz to lend a helping hand.
Thank you Travis Ranch WE Club members, parent volunteers, students, teachers and Mrs. Hellwig for making this event an incredible success!
The PYLUSD McKinney-Vento program accepts donations from a wide variety of individuals and organizations. If you would like to make a donation or have suggestions for future donations, contact Jon Matson by phone at 714-986-7028, or by email at jmatson@pylusd.org.
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