When the supply of food didn’t meet the need, students at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul, MN, knew they had more than a simple math problem to solve. Yes, as tutors in a ten-year-old program, they were accustomed to helping fourth graders at Webster School with their math, among other subjects. But now they realized that something else just didn’t quite add up. There was a more important gap to fill. At a school where 80% qualified for free or reduced cost lunches, too many children were going home hungry—something a bit foreign to these private school students.
Whereas in the past a local church had helped, the supply from that source was now depleted. The stack of donated food items in the teachers’ lounge at Webster had been shrinking. The Hill-Murray students realized the need and stepped into the breach. They didn’t depend on teachers leading the way. As one teacher summed up, “They owned it.” More than just the tutors participated. Members of numerous sports teams at Hill-Murray got involved, holding food drives at their games. The students knew that service to others was important. Now they could be more than tutors. It wasn’t long before vans filled with food donations made trips to the school in need. And the fourth graders at Webster now had a reason beyond math problems to bond with their benefactors.
The bonding continued with other activities such as a haunted house at Halloween, a coat drive, and a collection of gifts at Christmas to allow students to provide inexpensive gifts for their families. Smiles now adorned the faces of more than just a few people, young and old. To the students at Hill-Murray High School, thanks for your many efforts to Live Love Large!
(Retold from an article by James Walsh in the April 4, 2015 Minneapolis StarTribune.)