By Iesha Toft
S-N Contributor
A season of giving at Clay Central/Everly
Share
Tweet
SUBMITTED PHOTO
CC/E Elementary students show their donated items ready to be placed under the Giving Tree.
Just in time for the holiday season, Clay Central/Everly Elementary and Home State Bank of Royal recently completed their annual tradition of The Giving Tree Project.
Students and staff completed this project of caring and sharing during American Education Week, Nov. 16-20. Non-perishable grocery items were collected, sorted and distributed to families within the CC/E communities.
This honored tradition of giving was started more than 20 years ago by Judy Eckard, former Home State Bank employee. Former CC/E third grade teacher Lynn Cronk and current Title 1/ESL teacher Mary Ann Jobst would start the collection of non-perishable items at the school. The week of Thanksgiving, students from each class would pull their little red wagon full of food items down to Home State Bank and place their gathered donations under the community tree.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
To mark a job well done, the children all received turkey cookies to "gobble up."
The bank would always treat the students to a delicious cookie for their show of compassion and generosity. Following drop off, Judy Eckard, along with Home State Bank employees, would continue to collect more items throughout the season.
"Over the years Clay Central/Everly and Home State Bank have distributed anywhere from six to twenty boxes of food each year," Jobst said.
Eventually, CC/E Community Schools took over the project with Home State Bank continuing to annually support the cause. Staff at CC/E are proud to keep this project of caring and sharing going. The school district would like to extend their appreciation and sincere gratitude to everyone that has continued to support this project with generous donations of food items and volunteer time.
