Some students at Windber Area High School in Somerset County were promised a pancake breakfast after giving back in a big way to other students in need.
Reporter Baylee Wojcik tells us more.
The Windber High School Student Council ran a food drive that donated over one thousand items to the Windber Pantry Packs Program.
Student Council President Molly Birkhimer says after a slow year for community service projects in her club, she wanted to come up with a plan that would help fellow students.
“I was thinking how is a way we can give back to our community and my mom and I were at home one day and she was like why don’t we do a food drive because we have a Windber Pantry that benefits our students here with food from the Windber Packs Program. And I was like that’s a great Idea so I came back I talked to my council and we all agreed and I just figured it would be a great idea to do this project.”
Birkhimer says club advisors were initially skeptical of the idea because previous food drives were unsuccessful.
However, she says the promise of a pancake breakfast to the class with the most donations motivated many of the students to participate.
Birkhimer also says the opportunity for students to give back to their peers was a driving force.
“Knowing that it was going to the pantry in Windber and knowing that it was gonna help our students I really think our community stepped up and gave the food to people that we know.”
Now, Birkhimer says the 1066 items will be delivered to the Windber Pantry Packs Program.
The program delivers donated goods every Thursday to students who don’t have access to food on the weekends.
Student Council Adviser Tiffany Young says hygiene items were also collected.
“Being in the education world sometimes you realize your students have needs but you don’t realize that there’s a need that kind of need. So when you’re able to contribute it to the wellbeing of their life, it means a lot.”
The pantry accepts non-perishable donations throughout the week from 9-10 Am