Willows Prep collects more than 300 pounds of food for Northwest Harvest
Published 12:48 pm Friday, January 2, 2015
During the month of November and early December 2014, students at Willows Preparatory School in Redmond gathered food items for a school-wide donation to Northwest Harvest and the people they serve, collecting more than 300 pounds of food items.
Classes competed to see which one could bring in the greatest quantity. Mona Patel of Redmond serves as faculty advisor for the service learning program at the school — which has students from sixth through eighth grade — and directed attention to the needs of people in the surrounding communities during the holidays.
Sarah Weiser from Northwest Harvest also spoke to students during a presentation at a weekly assembly. A plan of action followed the presentation, which gave birth to a school-wide competition to bring in the most non-perishable food and other items for donation. In addition to the 300-plus pounds of food items collected, students also collected clothing and paper products for Northwest Harvest for distribution to members of surrounding communities.
Alongside of this effort, students also collected candy in late October and November 2014, which generated more than 88 pounds of sweet treats sent to U.S. military troops around the globe through an organization called Treats 4 Troops.
Service learning at Willows Prep enables students to learn and apply academic, social and personal skills to improve the community, continue individual growth and develop a lifelong ethic of service fostering civic responsibility. Students are encouraged to move beyond their familiar environment, to explore new situations and to respect people of different backgrounds and lifestyles.
The Willows Prep service learning program provides opportunities for students to gain insight into the challenges facing communities. Throughout their years at Willows Prep, students will be offered many opportunities to become involved in projects that demonstrate care for others and foster social responsibility.
