‘Tis the season for giving back to the community!

Learning for Independence or students are giving back to the community by collecting food donations for the second year as part of the Kids Helping Kids Food Drive.

Special education and LFI teacher Lore Neubeiser said, “The LFI program … is a specialized program for select special education students in the building that not only learn academics, but to also learn skills than can then be transferred into adulthood to help them become contributing members of society and live as independently as they can during adulthood.”

There are currently about 23 students in the program, ranging from ages 14 to 21.

“Kids Helping Kids Food Drive is a Manna organization [that is] trying to collect food and other items for kids in need in the local communities,” Neubeiser said. Manna is a food center in Montgomery County whose mission is to eliminate hunger in throughout the county. Manna provides food to 40,000 individuals each year and helps distribute rescued food to soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters county-wide.

“They do a food drive every fall where students are able to collect food, and help by gathering other items, to be taken to a food bank to help those in their community,” Neubeiser added. Neubeiser ran the fundraiser at Watkins Mill last year and is currently running it this year as well.

“I did like [fundraising for food],” LFI student Ronald Fernandez said. “It made me happy to fundraise [for other people].” Fernandez added that he “was happy that we raised a lot more this year than we did last year.”

“Yes, [I did like collecting food],” LFI student Amya Nolasco said. Nolasco also said she “was happy there was a lot of food.”

LFI student Brandon Bryant said, “Yes, I did like fundraising for food. It was fun and good.” Bryant added that he “was happy [that] we were happy collecting because it was helping people who need food.”

If you would like to contribute you can bring food to Neubeiser’s room in C100 until October 28.