Thanks to the Cobb County School District for submitting the info and photos about a continuing program involving volunteers from East Cobb’s Catholic Church of St. Ann, who’ve been raising money for and delivering food for students at LaBelle Elementary School since 2015.
It’s part of the “Sharing Our Blessings” program with the church’s St. Paul de Vincent Society, and the items the volunteers also deliver include school supplies, board games, uniforms and books.
LaBelle is located southwest of Marietta, not far from Osborne High School, and a majority of the students are on a free or reduced-price lunch program.
When the volunteer effort began, around 150 bags of food were delivered each week by St. Ann volunteers. Now it’s grown to more than 400, more than enough to provide a bag for every student.
That’s around 5,000 bags since the school year began, according to Karen Miller, the “Sharing Our Blessings” coordinator at St. Ann. Around 20 volunteers prepare the food bags every Friday at the church before they are delivered to the school.
“They feel very special when they get the bag, even if it is only five items,” LaBelle art teacher Jerrilyn Price said. “They look forward to Fridays. They say, ‘Oh it is Friday! We get the bags today!’”
The St. Ann volunteer effort is gearing up for the upcoming holidays with another food collection drive, filling a truck with nine days’ worth of food for the students during their break.
Some of the money raised for the food collection comes via the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk.
“There are a lot ways a community can support a school,” Miller said.
