FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The fifth grade Project Eat Club at the Joseph J. Catena School held a hunger awareness demonstration for family and friends at the school in April. A hunger banquet was organized by Mary Banks, Project Eat adviser and physical education teacher, as a culminating activity for the group in its effort to raise awareness and foster an understanding of those in need.
According to a press release from the school district, the evening included a banquet where guests were served snacks to represent different socioeconomic groups. Students served the first group ice cream and beverages. The second group was served cookies and water and the third group was served crackers.
Students then provided facts about hunger and the fifth grade chorus performed songs about goodwill. At the door, students had bowls on display that they created to represent the empty bowls of hunger. At the conclusion of the evening, guests attending the event were given a bowl to take home as a reminder of the demonstration, according to the press release.
“Each year we do something to raise awareness,” Banks said. “This is the first time we included an audience in the hunger banquet so that we could get a larger group involved.”
Faculty members were also on hand to help out at the event. Principal Neal Dickstein said the faculty and students worked hard to organize the event and volunteered their time to make it a success.
“The kids have a great sense of accomplishment and take joy in what they are doing,” Dickstein said.
The Project Eat Club is made up of fifth grade volunteers who meet monthly to prepare for various school-wide community awareness projects. From September through June, students conduct food drives, gather toys, books and puzzles, and organize hat and mitten collections in the winter for those in need.