Kids at Pella Community Schools were tasked with giving a gift to those in need before Christmas.

Students at Madison Elementary donated over 1000 items to the Pella Community Food Shelf this week. Second grade teacher Jil Nelson tells KNIA/KRLS News kids in all grades were encouraged to bring nonperishable food.

“One of the things we wanted to do in the month of December, by ways of goals and a theme, was to focus on being generous,” Nelson says. “One of the ways we thought we could help kids practice that and to also teach what generosity looked like was to do a food drive.”

Third graders dropped off the food Tuesday afternoon. She says they were able to fill half of a school bus with the goods they collected.

“We patterned with Melissa Zula at the food shelf, and she was very helpful in giving us a list of some items that they need this time of year,” Nelson says. “We put that challenge out by grade level here, so preschool through 3rd grade, and each had a different goal.”

Nelson also believes it was important for students to understand that hunger and other needs exist in the community, and is hopeful they will take lessons of giving throughout their lives.

“We talked about what some of those times look like when they might find themselves in need,” she says.

Hear more about the Madison Elementary food drive on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.