Half of St. Mary’s food collected went to Catholic Charities in East Chicago. L to R: Catholic Charities staff leader, Mrs. Torres, Principal Tom Ruiz, Mrs. Megan Henry, Mrs. Theresa McLoughlin, Lorelai Bronson, Lucas Raloff, Sommer Branigin, Mrs. Michelle Sarabia, Kailana Urbanek, Jaci Dumas.
Thanks to Polar Express Day and holiday treats, St. Mary Catholic Community School had a lot of Christmas cheer to share. This year’s Student Council Food Drive was a success. Instead of focusing on the quantity of items, the students at St. Mary’s have concentrated on donating the most needed food and hygiene products. The students participated in PJs for PJs; they brought in items that started with P and J, like peanut butter, pancakes, jam, and Jell-o to earn a pajama day. For the second week, the students participated in “Baking Spirits Bright!” where they brought in baking items and wore bright, holiday-themed clothes.
All of the food was split between Catholic Charities in East Chicago and St. Mary’s own food pantry, God’s Groceries. Megan Henry, leader of God’s Groceries, said, “God’s Groceries is blessed to have the support of the community and the school. Our pantry is filled and ready to serve those in need for the Christmas season. The food drive helped make Christmas easier for many families.”
“It felt great to give back to the community and see how happy it made people,” said seventh grade student council representative Kailana Urbanek. For the students and teachers, the annual food drive is a reminder of what truly matters during the Christmas season--helping others and spreading God’s love.
St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through grade eight. St. Mary’s faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by cutting-edge technology and throughout the year students are provided opportunities to serve the community in various ways. To learn more about St. Mary School’s upcoming Open House events on January 25th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and January 29th from 10:00 AM to noon call 219-663-0676 or visit stmarycp.org/school.