Throughout December, the Pine River Area Food Shelf and Pine River-Backus Elementary School worked to brighten the lives of those who needed a little help.
The food shelf filled 150 bags with meals for local families, but not until local elementary school students had decorated those bags.
"(We) brought them to the school and asked if they could dress them up so the Christmas meals would have a little decoration with them and would share in the children's joy with the meal," said Kathleen Stephan, a volunteer with the Pine River-Backus Family Center. "That's why we had it done this way. The children are participating in helping somebody else and thinking of someone else. I thought it was a win-win."
Food deliveries started at the beginning of December and continued until the last day of the month. Bags contained pork roasts, vegetables, fruits and other holiday fare for a full meal.
"This is the first time we've ever had the kids involved," Stephan said. "The more we can network with the school and the community, the better it is for everybody. We are all working to build a stronger community and they are learning a little altruism."
