Oak Forest Teen Pitches In with PBJ Drive

Every year since 2008, The Marley Project has organized food drives for the holidays, both at Christmastime and at Easter. Now, The Marley Project—run by teen Marley Majetic—is shifting its focus, again collecting food items, only this time in a back to school effort.

Majetic is collecting peanut butter and jelly supplies, individually wrapped cracker packs, juice boxes and fruit snacks through Sept. 10. Food items can be dropped off at Oak Forest, the , the Don Gorman Field House, Hille Middle School and the Tinley Park Community Church.  

“It's basically just a way to help parents get their kids back to school with nutritious meals,” said Marley Majetic, who organized the project. “To help the kids stay on task. So kids don't go to school without a lunch, so they have a nutritious diet.”

Majetic, now a freshman at l, said she began organizing the food drives in fifth grade, after an eye-opening family trip and encounters with homeless people pleading for food. She said that she was so moved by their struggle that she wanted to find a way to help people in her home community.

“I wanted to start a project that could give people an opportunity to help out,” Majetic said.

Ever since, she and the Oak Forest Youth Commission have organized food drives as part of The Marley Project.

“During meetings, I try to keep the Commission up to date on what we're doing next,” she said. “Then they always want to help out and my mom and dad think it's really great. They do everything they can to help me.”

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