The weather was cold and it was only November, but the mood was Christmas festive as 81 students from Sashabaw Middle School formed a human chain to unload food for Lighthouse of Oakland County, north chapter.
‘They’ve been collecting all week,? said April Kosin, Student Leadership Counsel teacher at Sashabaw. ‘They’re really come together ? they get really excited about it.?
The students brought in more than 7,000 cans of food and about $2,000 in cash for Lighthouse, and sang Christmas carols as they carried it inside.
‘I wanted to support families that are less fortunate than us,? said one of the students, who brought in 10 cans for the food drive.
The food will help stock the shelves of the Lighthouse facility on Sashabaw Road. The food pantry relies on donations from local students, community groups and businesses to provide help to families in need.
‘Businesses call us up all year long and ask us what we need,? Stapleton said. ‘They know we have a constant need ? they donate the food and personal care items to satisfy those needs.?
They also help collect donations from employees with special incentives such as Jeans Day, she said.
‘They come up with so many creative ways to help us,? she said.
One example is Weight Watchers, which donated food, she said.
The Weight Watchers Tuesday morning Waterford Waterfall Plaza Group donated 830 pounds of food to Lighthouse members last week. The amount of food represents group members? weight loss, said Val Cook of Weight Watchers.
‘The day we carried in the donated food, representing our loss, was a real eye opener,? Cook said. ? It was a dual purpose exercise. We recognized the good we did for ourselves, while helping out others in this time of need.?
The Lighthouse center’s current priority is collecting food for holiday meals, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
‘We help people who are struggling,? said Connie Stapleton of Lighthouse. ‘People are having a lot of trouble with their mortgages ? it trickles down from the white-collar downsizing down to people who are retired and in the service industries.?
Lighthouse will help about 270 families and 100 senior households this Thanksgiving, about 1,200 in all. About 50 volunteers will box, transport, and distribute the food.
‘A lot of volunteers help out,? said Sally Gurk, chairperson of the food drive along with her husband Donald.
‘We couldn’t do this without the volunteers,? Donald said.
‘So many help us throughout the year ? it’s overwhelming,? Stapleton said. ‘Even when they are struggling financially, people find a way to dig into their pockets and help us.?
Distribution day for the Thanksgiving holiday will be beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at the Knights of Columbus hall, 5660 Maybee Road.
Donations are accepted at Lighthouse, 6330 Sashabaw just south of I-75, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. To make donations outside those hours, call 248-620-6116 to make arrangements.