‘Operation Cereal’ class project to benefit Our Father’s Kitchen

MONROE — North Main Elementary fourth-grade teacher Aimee DeMattos’ “Operation Cereal” shared writing project began as persuasive writing assignment which ended up helping those who are hungry in the community.
The project was launched after students learned March 7 was “National Cereal Day.”
“We generated ideas to persuade others to participate in a community project around cereal,” she wrote in a note to The Photo News. “The project asked for students to bring in boxes of cereal to donate to local Monroe families.”
Students created a class writing piece, wrote speeches to persuade North Main students to participate and created posters to spread the word at school.
As donations were received, a student asked if the cereal could be donated to Our Father’s Kitchen, the local soup kitchen based in the basement of Sacred Heart Chapel in Monroe and run by the Sacred Heart Parish Outreach Program.
One week, 100 boxes
In a week’s time, more than 100 boxes of cereal were collected.
It was anticipated that soup kitchen officials would apply the cereal donations to the $1 million “Giveaway to Fight Hunger” challenge it is participating in, sponsored by The Feinstein Foundation.
The more food items and monetary donations the outreach program receives through April 30, the more money it will receive from the Feinstein Foundation to support the soup kitchen and its other food programs, according to outreach officials.
All donated food items are weighed and valued at $1 per pound.
‘Helping others’
The outreach program could receive up to $35,000 as the Feinstein Foundation matches a portion of what it receives as a donation.
Sacred Heart Parish Outreach Programs provide food to the hungry though Our Father’s Kitchen, Our Mother’s Cupboard, the “Snack Back Pack” Program and its summer lunch program.
“I wanted to teach my students how they could take a great idea and put it into action to help members of their community,” wrote DeMattos. “It is my hope they remember the excitement and joy they received from knowing they were helping others.”
- Nancy Kriz