Fienstein Challenge Galvanizes Local School Kids
Sep 24, 2009
“No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.” —Emma Goldman
What’s up with kids these days? Usually that question is followed by a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head. But at the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, we ask in true wonder: What makes them so generous? What motivates them to help others so? Could it be that you just have to ask them and their lights will shine?
Each year, the OPRF Food Pantry participates in the Feinstein Challenge, competing with other pantries across the country for a portion of Alan Feinstein’s one million dollars. The amount we receive is based on how much food and cash we can raise in the months of March and April.
This year our Challenge was jump-started by an extraordinary volunteer, Susan Lucci. It was Susan who got the kids involved. She contacted all the schools—public and private—in Oak Park and River Forest and asked them to participate in food drives. We were all stunned by the results. Ten schools took on the Challenge, raising a total of $14, 916 in cash and food items. (Each food item counts as one dollar.) That’s 50% more food than we collected from ALL sources during last year’s Challenge.
The schools collecting the most items were Fenwick High School with 2300 and Lincoln School (River Forest) with 1348. Congratulations to the winners! We’d also like to thank all the other participating schools: Ascension, Hatch, Holmes, Longfellow, Mann, Whittier, Willard and Roosevelt.
Mostly, we want to thank the wonderful members of this community for raising such thoughtful children. And to those of you who donated food and funds—whether as parents or not—we couldn’t have done it without you. In all, our cash and food donations topped last year’s by 123%. Congratulations and thank-you to all!