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Janesville School District Event delivers food for body and mind

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2010 Schools Food Drive

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JANESVILLE — They are cheerleaders, wrestlers, football players, among many others.

But, from the outside, the row of students passing flats of vegetables from a pallet onto a truck looked like one well functioning team.

So did the long line of students, teachers and staff that snaked through the cold from the warehouse toward a long row of cars and trucks waiting to deliver the groceries.

More than 200 Janesville School District volunteers worked like clockwork starting at 5 a.m. Saturday in a warehouse on Janesville’s east side. They unloaded truckloads of food, packed thousands of bags of groceries and loaded hundreds of shopping carts. Groceries were packed into cars, sport utility vehicles and two UPS trucks and delivered to more than 450 households in Janesville.

And we’re not just talking a little bit of food for each family. Every full cart included six bags of groceries, some produce, frozen meat, milk, several cases of canned vegetables and a bag of toiletries.

“It’s overwhelming,” said District Administrator Karen Schulte about the amount of food and the number of volunteers that participated.

This is the second year the school district has organized the holiday food donation event that for many years was headed by the UAW and organized out of the Janesville General Motors plant.

Every school in the district had at least one representative in the planning process, Schulte said. And every school held individual fundraisers to earn money for groceries. So did the district office, she said.

Donations and reduced prices at local businesses helped stretch the $40,000 raised as far as possible.

Some vehicles made four or five deliveries at one time. Others made one and came back for more.

The UPS trucks—each staffed with two workers—were routed for 30 deliveries each. Several carloads of volunteers followed each truck to help.

Edison Middle School teacher Rebekah Combs was one of the drivers who only could fit groceries for one family in her little car. A Spanish and ESL teacher, Combs specifically asked to deliver groceries to Spanish-speaking families.

This was Combs’ first year participating in the event that has been dubbed “Bags of Hope.” Her first visit showed that the title is a good one.

While carrying groceries into the house, Combs chatted with two pajama-clad, sleepy faced Jackson Elementary School students. It didn’t take long for their mom to join in the conversation.

In a few minutes, Combs learned that the kids’ parents have recently separated. Mom works part-time and wants to learn to speak English. She has no family in Wisconsin.

You could see the stress unwinding from the woman as she shared a few minutes of adult conversation with Combs. The women exchanged hugs and everyone said, “Feliz Navidad!”

Combs got back in her car and took a deep breath.

“Wow,” she said. “Just … wow. You never know what people have to go through.”