Thanks and giving

Giving isn't always the easy thing to do. It is, however, always the most rewarding.

Massillon area families can sit down to healthy, hearty holiday meals this Thanksgiving and Christmas, in part because of the generosity of children they have never met.

The students at Hope Academy in Canton collected canned goods and non-perishable items that were boxed up and donated to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank and the Massillon-Walnut Hills food cupboard.

Heather Brewer, a Massillon resident and teacher at Hope Academy, noted that the generosity of the students was over-whelming. After only four days of collecting the 350 students at the school had donated more than 2,000 cans of food during the week-long drive.

"I got teary-eyed when I called the PTO president to tell them how well (the donation drive) was going," Brewer said.

It was the Williams family, though, that showed the greatest dedication to the cause. The children – Joy, Jackquelin and Jason Williams and Jemini Turner – donated approximately 650 cans of food combined.

"One little boy brought in 166 cans of food by himself," Brewer said. "His brothers and sisters also brought in more than 100 each."

What makes the Hope Academy students' donations so special is the fact that many of the students' families don't have much to give to begin with. According to Brewer, more than 80 percent of the students who attend Hope Academy receive free and reduced lunches, due to limited family income. To see the students and their families give out of love and kindness - even when it seems difficult to do - is truly inspiring, Brewer said.

"I am so proud of all of them," Brewer said. "They all understand that they are doing something really nice for the community. This is the second fundraiser we have done and this one turned out to be really successful."

The two classes who donated the most cans will get to celebrate their generosity with a pizza parties, Brewer noted.

"They have brought in boxes and bags of food every day," Brewer said. "It's just a little prize, but it's something they really deserve."

Photo captions:

Above center: Hope Academy students (front from left ) Kielee Showalter, Graham Moore, Jemini Turner, Jason williams, (back row) Bionca Burton, Shyloe Mayle, Sterling Moore, Joy Williams, and Jackquelin Williams show off some of the food they donated.

Above left: Hope Academy students pack up cans of food to distribute.