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St. Thomas the Apostle School Students Working to End Hunger

On World Food Day, October 16, 2013, St. Thomas the Apostle School joined Cross Catholic Outreach and more than 50,000 students across the United States to pray for the hungry. 

“It is so hard to believe that 22,000 children die each day due to poverty” said Student Ambassador and sixth grade student, Carolyn Kolberg.  “We worry about whether or not our mom will let us purchase another pair of jeans and there are people who live on less than $2.50 per day.  Some kids receive that much allowance!”

St. Thomas the Apostle School students began the day of awareness with a prayer service led by the school’s Student Ambassadors and faculty members.  As each teacher read a statistic about hunger, the students replied with a promise.  “The poorest of the poor eat less than one meal per day” Stated Miss Denise Chonski, art teacher.  Kailee Harrigan, sixth grade Student Ambassador replied “With so many hungry and in need across the world, we give thanks for all that we have and promise to share our blessings with others.”

Each fact and each promise recited at the prayer service was posted throughout the building for the students to reflect on throughout the week. The students took their responsibility to help seriously.  Each family who attended the annual Harvest Gathering later that week donated a non-perishable food item.  The collected food was donated to the St. Thomas the Apostle Food Pantry which is run by the St. Vincent DePaul Society.  There were enough individual food items to completely fill two shopping carts.  It took Society volunteers two hours to shelf the donated food.  “Each month,” reported a society member, “some of our neighbors depend on the food pantry to supply them with basic food items.  Your gift will help us to continue to serve the needs of these people.”

The desire to do more continues today, nearly one month later.    Students from Mrs. Carmel Foltan’s public speaking class conducted research on poverty and hunger.  They have each written a portion of an eight person speech which will be presented to the entire student body in November and will include a call for action.  The eight sixth grade students have investigated such issues as local and global hunger and poverty, the call of our Catholic faith to assist the poor, and how we can help others in need close to home and on the other side of the world.  “It is very uplifting to see the passion with which the public speaking students have approached this assignment.  The statistics have captured their attention in a really positive way.  They are genuinely concerned about making a difference in the world around them” said Mrs. Foltan.  When they give the speech, the students will offer ideas for helping others in need from prayer to donating food and a portion of their allowance to providing assistance to religious men and women through mission and parish work.