Brown County students continue to help their neighbors by donating to Mother’s Cupboard community kitchen.
Last fall, Helmsburg Elementary School delivered more than 4,000 food items that were collected in four days.
On Feb. 22, it was Van Buren Elementary School’s turn to give. Students there had a goal to collect more than last school year’s total of over 2,000 food items.
The students surpassed it, collecting 2,600 items for Mother’s Cupboard in just two weeks, said second-grade teacher Debbie Olson.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]This year, the school staff and students faced off to see who could bring in more food for the pantry. “They were immediately motivated and eagerly accepted the challenge,” Olson said.
Students were also presented with a secondary challenge. The two classes that collected the most items would get an ice cream party. The class that brought in the most items also would deliver them.
Mother’s Cupboard Executive Director Sherry Houze accepted the school’s donations from Olson’s class, which came in first place. Madeline Lucas’ kindergarten class came in second.
Principal Gavin Steele coordinated with Brown County Schools’ maintenance crew to meet the students at Mother’s Cupboard to help them unload a bus full of donations, Olson said.
“We are greatly appreciative of all of the efforts on the part of the staff, students, families, custodians, kitchen staff and maintenance. We couldn’t have done it without the support of each of them,” Olson said.
“We have an amazing community.”
Van Buren Elementary staff volunteer to serve meals and work in the pantry every fourth Monday during the school year. If there are five Mondays in the month, the staff works the last two, Olson said.
“The policy at Mother’s Cupboard is that we don’t discuss specifically who goes into the facility and for what, due to privacy of the recipients, but we can say we see many families from our community on the days we volunteer,” she said.
This is the second year the staff has volunteered and the third year the school has collected donations for the community kitchen.
Second-grade teachers at Van Buren also invited their classroom families to help out on those Mondays. Olson said many parents have taken them up on the offer.
“We, as a Van Buren team, from the staff to students to families, feel that it is very rewarding to support our Brown County community in these ways,” Olson said.
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On April 14, the community is invited to enjoy a bowl of soup and help Mother’s Cupboard at the same time.
The annual Soup Bowl benefit for Mother’s Cupboard community kitchen will take place at The Seasons Lodge from 5 to 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per adult. Children 12 and under are admitted for $5.
Advance sale tickets are available at the Brown County IGA, the Brown County Visitor’s Center and from Mother’s Cupboard board members. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Adults will receive a hand-thrown bowl created by local potters to fill with soups from Brown County restaurants. Children’s tickets do not include a souvenir bowl.
Live music and a silent auction will also be featured at the event. All proceeds will go to Mother’s Cupboard.
Hot meals are served 364 days a year at Mother’s Cupboard. The community kitchen is also a food bank and distributes government commodities. The kitchen is funded by donations and endowments from the Brown County Community Foundation. Hot meals are served from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Helping Hands building at the Brown County Fairgrounds.
Last year, Mother’s Cupboard provided 43,000 hot meals.
For more information about Soup Bowl, call Jim Oliver at 812-929-6411.
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Food donations can be dropped off at Mother’s Cupboard on Memorial Drive (the fairgrounds) in Nashville between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Like Mother’s Cupboard on Facebook by searching for “Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen Inc.” Updates on volunteer opportunities and any food needs for the pantry will also be posted there.
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