Sabrina Nelson believes it is important to help people in need.
She is president of the McArthur High School Student Government Association (SGA) and Co-Chairperson of the Harvest Drive. This is an initiative being promoted by Broward County Public Schools to collect nonperishable food items to be distributed to needy families.
“I believe in the Harvest Drive. It is a powerful feeling to help other people. It makes me thankful and appreciative for what I have. I want to share with other,” said Nelson. “I feel people should care about others. We are all human beings. I encourage students to give food out of the goodness of their hearts.”
McArthur High School students are leading the Harvest Drive collection effort. They are encouraging students from nearby middle schools and elementary schools to bring in non-perishable food items from their homes. These food items are being collected at McArthur High School. Nelson has spoken to elementary and middle school students about the importance of sharing their food with people in need. McArthur High School students who are leading the Harvest Drive are organizing parties and dance events for elementary and middle school students as a part of the food drive effort.
Briana Ginjauma, co-chairperson of the McArthur Harvest Drive and a member of the SGA said believes in the importance of helping others. She knows her mother struggled as a young person but now her family is financially stable. She wants lower income families to be able to afford a Thanksgiving dinner.
“I care about other people and I want to be able help others,” said Ginjauma. She is an officer in the McArthur JROTC program.
Mary Geus, the advisor to the SGA is proud of the effort students in the SGA have made in making the Harvest Drive a success. “The students have done community outreach to the elementary and high schools that feed into our campus,” she said. “We have done fundraisers at football games.”
McArthur students have worked with a Publix in Cooper City. They will ask shoppers at the Publix to buy products in the Publix Buy One Get One program and give the Harvest Drive the extra product. Sometimes customers will give both food items to the Harvest Drive. People can make financial donations to the Harvest Drive.
There are nine schools including McArthur’s area. The goal is to collect enough food items and financial support to provide 10 bags of groceries and a $35 Publix gift card to between 10 and 12 families in each of the ten schools including McArthur that are in McArthur’s Innovation Zone. The families are identified by social workers and their identities are kept confidential. It is expected that 125 families will receive bags of groceries.
“The idea of giving back to their own community has caught on with the students here,” said Geus.
Please make this the year you elect to support and participate in this worthwhile, countywide charitable effort so that ‘no child goes hungry’. If you would like more information on how you can help, please see the Harvest Drive website at: www.harvestdriveflorida.com. Should you know of a family in need of some assistance, kindly contact your school’s social worker for detailed information.
The Harvest Drive accepts cash donations and gift cards. Checks should be made payable to:
Harvest Drive, Inc. 5190 NW 165th Street, Miami, Florida 33014 All donations are tax-deductible 501c (3)
Visit www.harvestdriveflorida.com for more information.