State College Elementary School Students Give Back for the Holidays

Elementary school students of the State College Area School District have been busy this holiday season.

Recently, students at Gray’s Woods Elementary School and Houserville Elementary School took time from their busy schedules to count money, pack food bags and even hold a charity auction, all with the thoughts of others on their minds.

‘I just really enjoy doing things for other people, especially people who really need it,’ said Maverick Muchmore, a second-grader at Gray’s Woods Elementary, while taking a break from counting money that will be used for meat vouchers for less fortunate families in the Philipsburg area this holiday season. ‘I just hope I can do it again next year, too.’

Maverick was one of several students of teacher Erin DiPerna who helped count money and pack collected food donations into bags for distribution through the Philipsburg Area Food Bank.

‘This is the third year we are doing this and I think it makes for a good lesson for these young minds,’ said DiPerna, as she bounced to and from the money counting room and food packing room on Dec. 15. ‘The kids have a great time knowing they are helping someone out. It’s an important lesson to teach at a young age.’

Claire Slocum was busy stuffing food into paper bags. She struggled to fit in all the gravy, potatoes, stuffing and other holiday meal fixings.

‘Whoever is getting this bag is sure going to be happy,’ she said. ‘It’s full to the top.’

On Dec. 16, the money and food donations were delivered to Robin Knepp, director of the Philipsburg Food Bank.

‘Their (the students) efforts are going to make a huge difference,’ said Knepp. ‘We have 50 or 60 families we need to get food to this year, and it’s a relief for us knowing they are taken care of and we don’t need to worry about it.’

Knepp said she applauds the school district’s efforts to teach valuable lessons to the children at such an impressionable time in their lives.

‘This is something they are going to remember and carry through the rest of their lives,’ said Knepp.

Also Dec. 16, the halls at Houserville Elementary School were bustling with activity for the annual Arts and Craft Caring Fair. At this special event, nearly 50 fifth-grade students constructed crafts for the purpose of selling the items to raise money for charity. Lemont and Houserville students can ‘shop’ for the perfect Christmas gifts amongst the crafts.

Students who produced a non-perishable canned good earned space to sell at the market, and these food and non-perishable items were donated to the State College Food Bank for local distribution.