November 18, 2008

GIPS students involved in activities to help hungry or homeless people

Grand Island Public Schools students are involved in a variety of activities in November, which is National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Month, said Verna Haberman, outreach coordinator for the school district. Some activities will also occur in December.

Middle school and high school students are collecting toilet paper to donate to local nonprofit agencies. Classes that donate the most toilet paper at each school will receive treats, she said. The agencies that will receive the toilet paper and schools are: Crisis Center, Grand Island Senior High School; Central Nebraska Community Services, Walnut Middle School; Salvation Army, Westridge Middle School; and Hope Harbor, Barr Middle School.

Families of Gates Elementary School students will ring bells for the Salvation Army from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Gordmans, Haberman said.

She has been giving presentations this month to classes concerning hunger and homeless awareness. Upcoming presentations include: Stolley Park Elementary School, fourth-grade classes, 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20; Barr Middle School, English Language Learner students, 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

For more information, contact: Verna Haberman, outreach coordinator, Grand Island Public Schools, Old Walnut Building, 504 N. Elm St. No. 122, (308) 385-5244; (308) 390-4940 (cell phone)