Manchester Schools' Helping Hands For Hunger Feeding 145 Families For Thanksgiving

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township students and staff packed up 145 Thanksgiving meals for Manchester families on Monday as part of the Helping Hands for Hunger food drive.

More than 100 volunteers, including students and staff from every school, took part in packing up the bags at Manchester Township High School. Helping Hands for Hunger is led by students at the high school and had a goal of supplying 125 meals that will be delivered confidentially to families this week.

Donations included turkeys, produce, gift cards, and other so "families throughout Manchester will enjoy a complete and joyful Thanksgiving meal," said Dina Silvestri, the district's public information officer.

"What you're doing here today is an act of service," Manchester Schools Superintendent Diane Pedroza told the volunteers before they started packing the bags on Monday. "It reflects how Manchester students and staff think of others before themselves."

"When you sit at your table this year for Thanksgiving, please be especially grateful for those who did not have this meal to share, but now do, because of the impact of your fundraising efforts. You are truly living our district motto: Excellence by Example," Pedroza said. (See photos at the bottom of the article.)

The students were guided by High School Vice Principal Joseph Serratelli, who was known for the day as "Turkey Hat Joe," as they gathered donations from both within and outside the schools.

"This year’s tremendous success was made possible not only by student leadership but also by the generosity of staff, families, and numerous local businesses and organizations," Silvestri said.

The following businesses, organizations and people are among those who supported the Helping Hands for Hunger drive, the district said:

• ShopRite of Manchester
• Maximum Quality Foods
• Camona Bolen Home for Funerals
• Oliverie Funeral Home
• Lakehurst Manchester Rotary Charitable Foundation
• Degraff Lakehurst Funeral Home
• Manchester Township Democratic Club
• Manchester Township Board of Education staff
• DKG Omicron Chapter / Women in Education
• Phyllis Zarko
• Burger 25
• Jody Weber
• Robin Roscoe
• Horizon Funeral and Cremation Services Inc.
• Anderson & Campbell Funeral Home
• African American Club
• Pies On 37
• Redeemer Lutheran Church
• William Hagan Group EXP Realty
• Building on the Rock Community Church