Press release courtesy of the MHS Food Drive Committee
Monticello High School has worked together to help 125 families in our community enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving meal. As we have for well over 30 years, students, faculty, and staff worked together to raise enough money to purchase these meals from our local Shop Rite. United Way provided us with our families, and collections began at the beginning of November and concluded the Monday before Thanksgiving.
The 2024 Food Drive Chairs, Megan Bastone, Alexandra Cushing and Jessica Young worked under the guidance of their advisor, Ms. Mary Ellen Hurley, high school Social Studies teacher. Each morning, these students worked together to collect the envelopes zones located around the school and then met after school every single day to count the totals for each class. Ultimately, these totals were tallied to see which zones collected the largest amount.
In addition to collections throughout the building, we received donations from several businesses in Monticello. This includes Gold Dental ($100.00) , and The Beer Store ($500.00). This friendly competition creates much excitement when the daily totals are announced each day, and an enormous amount of anticipated excitement when the grand totals are announced during the assembly. In anticipation of the assembly, the entire food drive committee worked diligently to build the towers of food, a creative way to display to the entire school the outcome of their community service.
The 2nd – 4th place zones will get fruit snacks to share. This year’s leaders are as follows:
In 4th place, helping 3 families, is Mrs. Schombs’ zone, with a total of $214.35
In 3rd place, helping 7 families, is Mr. Nielsen’s zone, with a total of $546.42.
In 2nd place, helping 8 families is Mr. Cellini’s zone, with a total of $568.11.
And in first place, helping 9 families, is Mrs. Ferris’ zone, with a total of $646.68. This zone earned breakfast prepared by our building’s administrators. This will be with the winning zone of our Toy Drive in January.
Next up is the Monticello High School Annual Toy Drive. Hallway zones will compete again as the collectively work to share their generosity with our community. Our collections begin on Wednesday, December 4th. Anyone wishing to donate should email mhurley@k12mcsd.net with any questions. If you or someone you know needs help with gifts this holiday season, please contact the United Way at (845) 794-1771 to be added to their list of families.