Students from Rochester, Adams and Stoney Creek high schools contributed recently to the largest donation in the history of the Rochester Area Neighborhood House Food Pantry.
"It's unbeliavable," said Lorraine Kremer, director of the food pantry, which is housed inside the First Congregational Church in Rochester.
The high schools competed to collect canned food and cash donations for the food pantry. In all, they collected 24,000 cans and $8,000 in cash. On Friday, volunteers from the schools transported and sorted the food; they worked from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. until the food was starting to overtake the overflow area in the church hallway.
And the donations from schools continue this week: on Monday, the food pantry was receiving a donation from Meadow Brook Elementary School; on Tuesday, another donation from Brewster Elementary School and on Wednesday a donation from a group at Oakland University.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of this community," said Kremer.
To learn more about the food pantry or to contribute, call 248-656-4904.
Even with the slight taint of the incentives. Buy a free homework pass with canned goods. The "opportunity to skip a test" and the "opportunity to skip a writing assignment" cost a mere $15 - $20 in canned goods (but cash is also accepted). Need a chance for some test corrections? Less than $5. What were some of the more creative incentives offered?