Sunset Hill Students Help 'Impact Lives'

According to the Wayzata School District:

Students at worked for a second year with Minneapolis-based Impact Lives to raise money and pack meals for people in need in Haiti.

The fundraiser began during the students’ first week back from winter break with a goal of raising enough money to pack 55,000 meals. Impact Lives presented information to the students about the global issue of hunger and empowered students with this information.

Each meal made costs 15 cents and students were able to surpass the building’s goal by raising enough money to pack 65,433 meals.

There were many students that chipped in on extra household chores to raise money. Some students asked for donations in lieu of birthday presents. Others sold artwork, bracelets, crafts and bookmarks and collected cans. One student held a carnival at home and invited the class as an effort to raise money. Sunset Hill staff also held two bake sales that contributed to the effort, as well as many school wide events that helped raise money.

The school held a "Hat day for Haiti" where students paid a dollar to wear a hat for a spirit day, and a homework pass day where students could buy a free homework pass for a dollar and a day during which students ate the type of meal they would pack for Haiti in lieu of their regular lunch and donated their lunch money to the cause. The $2.30 individual lunch cost paid for 15 meals for the people of Haiti and the students were able to experience what it is like to eat one of the Impact Lives meals.

Students also paired with Green Sneakers, a Minnesota based non-profit to help contribute to the effort. The organization collects used shoes and gives schools $1 per pound of shoes collected toward the fundraising effort. Sunset Hill students collected 150 pounds of used shoes that will be distributed in countries of need to help with sustainability.

Throughout this process students were educated with curriculum that focused on global issues, hunger and poverty, ways to help the community, as well as geography and history. On March 21, the event ended with a gym full of volunteers who helped students take turns packing food in assembly line fashion.