Crockpots for Christmas: D-NH students put new spin on holiday food drive

For years, most food drives have followed the same template. Bring in canned goods to a local food bank, and hope that the items eventually reach families in need. This winter, however, Dike-New Hartford middle school students are trying something different: they’ve used the money they’ve raised in their classrooms to purchase slow cookers filled with ingredients and recipes to assist those struggling with hunger.
           
“We just thought that it’d be nice during the Christmas season. A lot of people need food, and it’s something we should try to help them with,” eighth grader Ali Steffen said.
           
In partnership with the United Methodist Churches in both Dike and New Hartford, the students raised over $460—mostly in spare change—and bought 21 crockpots with the money. This was the first year of the new initiative, and student council advisor Sandy Becker led the way. Through the “Adopt a Family” program, the churches will now distribute the devices to locals in need, and as an added touch, all of the recipes came from D-NH teachers.
           
“We wanted to put something in their hands and some ideas in their hands that would give them ideas for warm meals for the winter,” Becker said. “(And) for those families that are trying to feed kiddos or trying to work and feed kids, this would be a solution… We don’t really know where they’re going to go, but we know that (the churches) are going to take care of getting them into the hands of folks that need it.” 
 
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