Cosgriff students distribute food for Thanksgiving

Intermountain Catholic

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J. E. Cosgriff Memorial students select items from donated food to make up Thanksgiving feast boxes for families in need. The school service project was organized by eighth grade teacher Sue Hamburge and first grade teacher Joyce Acosta.IC photos by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — J. E. Cosgriff Memorial School held their annual food drive to collect food for less fortunate families in St. Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City. Each class brought non perishable food to fill 45 gift boxes with the basic items for a Thanksgiving feast. Each classroom also decorated the gift boxes and made Thanksgiving cards for the parishioners at St. Patrick Parish.

"Father David Bittmenn, pastor of St. Patrick Parish used to be an associate pastor at St. Ambrose Parish, Salt Lake City," said Joyce Acosta, J. E. Cosgriff Memorial first grade teacher. "When he left St. Ambrose to go St. Patrick in 2002, we began this as an annual service project."

The items included in the gift boxes were canned vegetables, canned fruit, a dessert mix, muffin or bread mix, stuffing, potato or rice mix, pasta, canned meats, beans, and peanut butter and jelly.

When the students went to the school gym to prepare the boxes, they went as families. A family consists of one student from each grade in kindergarten through eighth grade, with the eighth-grader serving as the leader.

"The families do service projects or one activity each month, occasional prayer services, and the younger students learn social skills from the older students," said Acosta. "The eighth-graders also read books to the younger students, teach them to respect others, display reverence in church, how to pray the Stations of the Cross, and how to be responsible. We feel this builds good leadership roles for the eighth-grader, and it helps the younger children feel secure and safe in the school. Through these families, the students become buddies. If they are at recess and they have a problem, they recognize an older boy or girl from their family as a friend who will help them."

Acosta said if there is a problem or situation in the school that needs to be addressed such as a topic discussed, or an illness or death in a family, the family groups get together and talk about the situation, or offer support by making cards or writing poems or stories for the family in need.

J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School also held a food drive this month to benefit the Utah Food Bank and the many people they serve.