Denver, Colorado… Mile High Academy’s Kindergarten and 2nd grade students teamed up with the Denver Inner City Parrish Food Bank to raise money for Thanksgiving meals. During the month of November, the two classes prepared and gave presentations to various school-wide morning meetings. A jar was placed in the front office with informative display signage, giving visitors and families an opportunity to donate loose change. The jar was also available at the school’s Annual Fall Festival. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, $198 was presented to Hunger Programs Coordinator Michael Bruno as a gift from Mile High Academy.

“In October, Mrs. Armendariz and I took our two classes to the food bank to donate the vegetables we had grown in our school garden,” said Jessica Gleason, Mile High Academy’s second grade teacher. “While we were there, the students were inspired to learn other, simple ways to help the Food Bank.”

While at the Food Bank, students decorated paper plates. These paper plates went home with the kids, challenging them to utilize the plates as a means for collecting extra change to donate to the Food Bank. Students also learned just how far the money can be stretched to help provide food for those that are hungry. Examples that were given include:

  • $1 buys 10 cans of food
  • $1 buys 4 meals
  • $75 buys 4,000lbs of food

“I was surprised that $1 equals 4 meals,” said Aida Wentland, a 2nd grade student at MHA.

“Watching our students work together as a team to help someone less fortunate was both humbling and inspiring,” said Gleason. “Our Mile High Academy team is always looking to find ways for our students to help those in the community, specifically those who may be less fortunate. And when we see even some of the smallest of students driven to help others, it shows that God is truly working hard on our campus.”

Jocelyn Aalborg; photos supplied