The Hicksville Public Schools and the Hicksville community came together this Thanksgiving season for a food drive that made a difference in the lives of nearly 100 local families in need. Coordinated by Efthymia Rafaelides, K-12 Guidance Supervisor, the school district partnered with the Hicksville Council of PTAs, Children’s Hope India (CHI) and Kiwanis Club of Hicksville to sponsor the annual food drive.
The Hicksville School District community was asked to donate non-perishable food items to create food baskets for families to take home for the holiday season. The response was incredible, with the generous donations from Hicksville children allowing the school district to create over 200 boxes of food. In addition, Children’s Hope India and Kiwanis contributed gift cards totaling over $7,000 to supplement the food boxes for each family. The effort was truly a joint one, with Kiwanis, Children’s Hope India, The PTA Council, and the students and staff of Hicksville Public Schools all working together. Students and their families from all the schools in the district participated in the food collection, supervised by the Hicksville Council of PTAs and Co-Presidents Mrs. Patricia Bulerin and Mrs. Nicole Fragopoulos.
At each school, the food collection was led by dedicated individuals. The Student Council at Hicksville Middle School, under the supervision of Anthony Licari and Margaret Fitzgerald, collected food along with middle school students. The Key Club at Hicksville High School, led by advisor Kelly O’Neill, coordinated the food collection at the high school. On behalf of the community-based organization Children's Hope India, Sunita Manjrekar coordinated the donation of over 100 bags of food for the drive. Dr. Dina Pahlajani, CHI Co-Founder and President, Ms. Moneesha Sani, CHI Vice President, and Ms. Tanu Uttamchandani, CHI Parent Liaison, were present to support Hicksville’s families. Dr. Edward Saueracker, President of Kiwanis, as well as Distinguished Past President Diane Brousseau and Kiwanis Secretary Razvan Constantinescu also played a key role in the success of the endeavor.
However, the food collection was only the beginning of this massive service project. The food then needed to be sorted and boxed for distribution. Thanks to the hard work of the Hicksville High School vocational students and their teacher, Helene Mendoza, the food was prepared and packaged seamlessly.
For the distribution of food baskets, the students of Hicksville High School once again stepped up. Families were able to pick up their food boxes at the high school, and student volunteers from the Key Club and Children’s Hope India loaded each car. Key Club advisor Kelly O’Neill and District Social Worker Nubia Rodriguez worked in partnership to ensure the distribution went smoothly. Many thanks to James Borbee and all the high school custodians for their invaluable assistance in setting up, hanging up the beautiful banners created by Joanne Bucci, and assisting with the cleanup. The assistance of Dave Bell, Director of Facilities and Operations, and the entire Hicksville Public Schools facilities staff was crucial in transporting food between buildings and delivering it to the homes of those unable to pick up at the high school.
This food drive was truly a team effort, with the support of building principals, school staff, teachers, central administration, social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses, facility crew, and custodial staff. It was a testament to the giving spirit of the Hicksville community. Dr. Edward Saueracker of the Kiwanis Club of Hicksville said, “teamwork makes the dream work,” and this effort showed just that.
The community's support and coordination made this food drive possible, and it demonstrated the true spirit of Thanksgiving. The Hicksville Public Schools and the Hicksville community can be proud of their efforts to help those in need during the holiday season. This joint partnership made a difference in the lives of many neighbors in Hicksville, and it is a reminder to be thankful and grateful for the very special giving community we have.
