Although the pandemic affects all of us young and old in different ways, a group that is hit the hardest and experiences the most adverse affects is low-income and less fortunate children. Before spring break, Linsly Private School participated in a school-wide fundraiser organized by seventh graders Sophie Toma and Elaina Pusz and the Middle School Leadership Council to benefit the No Kid Hungry Project, which is a national nonprofit organization working to eliminate hunger and poverty throughout the country. These students planned an advisory challenge; the advisor who collected the most money would receive a McDonald’s catered lunch. Students were encouraged to donate a minimum of $2 in order to participate in a tropical, spring break themed dress down day on Friday, March 5.
Here’s an inside look into Sophie and Elaina’s inspiration and motivation for benefitting No Kid Hungry:
Elaina says she was inspired to start the fundraiser for child hunger because she believes it is an area our community struggles with. She says “[she] came across a statistic that people in Wheeling living under the poverty line are 2% higher than the national average,” and this sparked her interest in searching for ways she could help the community. After brainstorming with Sophie, the girls came across the No Kid Hungry website. Sophie says that “[she] realized that the pandemic isn’t the greatest concern for some people,” and “although we are fortunate enough to have a place to stay during quarantine and food on the table, that isn’t the case for about 13% of impoverished Americans.” Sophie points out that 18 million children, compared to the 11 million last year, do “not have consistent access to nutritious food” during the pandemic. Sophie’s inspiration was similar to Elaina’s, and she believes that “no one should have to worry about when there next meal should be.”
In order to plan and organize the school-wide fundraiser, Elaina and Sophie put together a slideshow with childhood hunger statistics and reached out to Mrs. Allison with their proposal, who connected them with the Middle School Leadership Council. Next, the girls gained approval from Mr. Zimmerman and attended many meetings. Finally, Sophie, Elaina, and the MSLC chose a date, theme, and a way to collect money from advisors.
Sophie and Elaina’s excellent leadership with the help of the Middle School Leadership Council helped to raise over $2,000. With the childhood poverty and hunger crisis at an ultimate high during the pandemic, this contribution will go towards a great cause that affects millions of children.
