Schools

Hansen Students Collecting Coins for Canton

The students at the Hansen School are fundraising again this year for the Food Pantry.

By Taylor Gardner and Kiki Karavas

At the end of last school year, the Student Council members, Kiki Karavas, Tommy DeLello, Christopher Milne, Dan Cohen, Chloe Pennacchio, Jacqueline Nannery, Araman Kaiser, Elizabeth Seto, Siobhan Hall, Sarah Conolly, John White, Drew Curtin, Hannah Lewis, Jack Healey, Devin Foster, Taylor Gardner, and (former) principal John Maxwell worked on a project called Coins for Canton.

Coins for Canton’s goal was to raise money for the to help provide food and toiletries for those in need. The students raised $460.10.

Find out what's happening in Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Student Council worked throughout lunchtime and recess to decorate about 24 jars and shoeboxes to distribute throughout the school. The cafeteria, offices and classrooms– everywhere throughout the school one could find a jar or shoebox. Some kids worked their recess away distributing the containers. Some classrooms had already put in money by the time they left.

Each room was given a container and a poster–a container to put the money in, and a poster to remind them to put spare change or any money they had free into the container. Kids would put anything from change from lunch money to dollar bills sent in by their families.

Find out what's happening in Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The serves around 250 people with food and toiletries. They also have bins for grocery store coupons and flyers for discounts on things not available at the pantry.

The Food Pantry often has changes in need in a short amount of time. There may be a lot of something on the shelf one week, and in the next, they have a shortage of it.

As the new school year begins, the Hansen Elementary School is again having a food showdown, which is a competition against two foods to see which gets more donations. This month it was peanut butter and jelly. Next month there will be two different foods.

Dr. Conard, the principal of the , said at school events, people attending will be requested to bring in a donation for the Food Pantry.           

If you’d like to follow the example of the student council at the Hansen, make an impact by donating some change or food to the food pantry. 

The Canton Food Pantry suggests donations of: “Non-perishable food, personal care items, and household products may be left at the Bank of Canton, Canton Co-operative Bank, Canton Public Library, and Pratt Realtors.  Donations of food, including perishable items, may be dropped off at the Pantry on Mondays only between 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m."

According to their website, "The Canton Food Pantry relies not only on food donations, but also on financial contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations.  Donated monies are used to purchase much needed perishable items such as eggs, cheese, fruit, potatoes, etc., as well as non-perishable items that are in high demand. We receive some USDA foods for free, and pantry is a member agency of the Boston Food Bank, thus we can purchase groceries there at enormous discounts.” 


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