Hempfield students, teachers pitch in to donate holiday meals to local families

Spanish teacher Natalie Fetterman couldn’t unhear the numbers — the 326 Hempfield Area students who take advantage of the district’s weekend food program.

That’s in addition to the 900 students throughout the district’s nine school buildings who are registered for free or reduced cost lunches.

“These numbers aren’t something that you can just walk away from your day job and just be like ‘Have a great holiday break,’” said Fetterman, who has taught Spanish in the district since 2006.

Fetterman is among a group of teachers and students assembling and donating meals to district families on Dec. 22. Each meal will include a protein, mashed potatoes or pasta, a vegetable, rolls, a cookie tray and holiday treat bags for the students.

Families eligible to receive a meal — those who qualify for free or reduced lunch — were sent an email with a form to sign up. About 80 families, or 300 district students, have registered so far, Fetterman said.

“As an educator and an administrator, during your eight hours of the day, you try to impact the kids,” she said. “But knowing that you might have a little bit more of an impact over their holiday break, that’s cool. That’s really cool.”

Families must register for meals by Wednesday. They will be distributed between 4 and 6 p.m. Dec. 22 by the high school tennis courts.

Local restaurants — including The Boulevard, Giannelli’s, DeNunzio’s and Texas Roadhouse — have pitched in, agreeing to donate chicken, pasta and rolls.

Donations of canned vegetables, grocery store gift cards and cookie trays can be dropped off at the high school or administration building until Dec. 22, Fetterman said. Any donations not used for the meal drive will go toward the district’s weekend food program, which sends bags of snacks and instant meals home with students in need each weekend.

Students will help prepare the holiday meals during their annual Spartan Holiday Extravaganza on Dec. 19, Fetterman said.

This year, the event focuses on community service. Students will participate in a variety of charitable efforts — including making fleece blankets for local animal shelters, flower bouquets for a local maternity ward and bags of toiletries for Greensburg-based nonprofit Feeding the Spirit.

Superintendent Mark Holtzman commended the district’s teachers and students on their efforts.

“They’re doing it out of the goodness of their heart. There’s not any extra anything that goes along with them volunteering,” he said. “They want to do good for the community, and this is why Hempfield is a special place.”