A group of Norwin High School students gave of money that students raised and gave of their time Thursday to shop for and shelve groceries at an Irwin food pantry to help less fortunate families.

“The food bank is really important,” said Lizzy Martina, a junior who is her class’ social media coordinator. “We decided we wanted to make a contribution so that others in the community are able to experience the same holidays we are privileged to have.”

Martina and the other junior and sophomore class officers went on a shopping spree at the Aldi supermarket in North Huntingdon.

The shopping carts full of groceries were destined for the food pantry operated by the First Presbyterian Church of Irwin, which serves 207 families within the Norwin School District, said Amy Henry, co-director of the food pantry.

“It’s extra special,” Martina said. “We are making an enormous impact.”

The officers of the freshmen, sophomores, junior and senior classes decided to use $3,000 raised from homecoming events — the carnival and homecoming dance from this year and previous years — to help those in need, said Denae Brentzel-Martina, an English teacher, junior class sponsor and the mother of Lizzy.

The class officers collaborated with the Norwin Student Council and the Norwin Show Choir’s Norwin in Action to fight food insecurity in the Norwin community, Brentzel-Martina said.

She used an additional $1,000 to buy Aldi gift cards that will be distributed through a school initiative to needy families.

The student council and show choir’s Norwin in Action plan to make monetary donations. .

The food pantries operated by St. Agnes and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton churches in North Huntingdon, the First United Methodist Church in Irwin and the Norwin Church of Christ in North Huntingdon also will get $750 worth of food, Martina said.

“Somebody (a student) bridged the idea, and we kind of ran with it,” said Ryan Schoemer, president of the junior class. “We felt it was the best way to spend it.”

Armed with lists from the food pantry, the students moved up and down Aldi’s aisles. The students filled shopping carts: The girls shopped for crackers, cereal, peanut butter and cake mix, while the boys picked out cans of tuna, green beans, canned chicken, apple sauce, mayonnaise and canned corn.

The pantry has been operating for about 25 years with support from the congregation, the community and an area food distributor. It serves families with a household income of 125% of the federal poverty level, Henry said.

Unlike food banks that give recipients boxes of food, the families supported by the Irwin church get the opportunity to “shop” for the food they want, once a month. Prices for the food on the shelves is discounted, and each family can take $30 worth of food, plus $5 for each member of their family. Thus, a family of four, gets the purchasing power of $50 a month.

The aid from the Norwin students came at the right time, with Thanksgiving next week. There was an increase in need because of the delay in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because of the federal government shutdown and the increase in the price of food, said Maxine Lenhart, a food pantry co-director.

“We had a lot of empty shelves. We were waiting for food,” said Debby Schade, a volunteer at the food pantry, who guided the students carrying groceries to a rear storage room where some of the shelves were completely bare.

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