Food drives, fundraising efforts, lessons of kindness to others—all are staples at Forest Park Elementary and throughout Kannapolis City Schools as a whole. But there’s something just a little bit different when the initiative comes from the students themselves.
Connor Reeder, a fifth-grade student at Forest Park, decided he wanted to do something a bit different. He found the Disney Be Inspired Grant online and applied, hoping to use the $500 it offered to collect food for those in need.
“I thought people needed it,” Connor said. “Some people don’t have enough to eat, or they don’t get enough money from their jobs. They might have to work multiple jobs just to support them. So maybe they can spend more time with their families by getting a box or two.”
And it worked. Not only did Connor get the grant, but his enthusiasm made this year’s food drive at Forest Park one of the best yet, gathering more than 6,000 cans. The school opened a food pantry—manned by Connor and a few friends—and still managed to donate several hundred pounds to Cooperative Christian Ministries
“It’s wonderful because it kind of motivated his group of friends to do more,” Principal Josh Sain said. “It’s almost—you almost don’t have any words for it because it’s not what you expect. One of my biggest things is be kind. I didn’t even have to ask Connor.”
Sain said the school typically collects between 1,000 and 2,000 items of food during the drive, but this year more than tripled that collection. Part of it, the principal said, was excitement around the food pantry that Connor’s grant helped fund. Teachers took a more proactive approach to talking about kindness and helping out in the classroom, and Connor drummed up support in the older grades.
The school set up a few shelves in an administrative closet, and Connor helped separate and organize the food. He and some friends pack up boxes once a month and bring them out to participating families. So far, the school has had three food pantry days.
But the food drive was such a success, that Sain soon realized they had enough food to last through the end of the school year and then some—and they haven’t even spent Connor’s $500 from the Disney grant yet. So the students decided to donate more than 1,200 pounds to Cooperative Christian Ministries to reach an even broader part of the community.
“Obviously this world needs more kindness,” Sain said. “And our kids don’t always see—it’s good for them to see good things happening at school, and it’s more than teachers teaching them. It’s life skills. It’s good for kids. I’m a big advocate of it.”
Sain said they plan to continue the effort next school year, especially given the overwhelming response from the student body.
“It was such a success that we’ll definitely do it next year,” he said. “The thing that Connor wants—we all want to do—was make boxes that are more than boxes of things people don’t want. So cereal, mac ‘n cheese, potatoes—things you can live off of.”
Connor won’t be at Forest Park to see his efforts continue and grow, however. He will move on to sixth grade and attempt to make his mark at another school. But Sain said he hopes Connor’s attitude continues.
“I’m just proud of him, and I hope he continues it because next year he’ll be at the middle school,” Sain said. “Hopefully he can do the same at the middle school, and hopefully he’s inspired some of the fourth-graders to do the same here.”
