Non perishable food, plastic bags, and lots of student help are three components that define Smart Sacks. On Tuesday, September 27th, all kinds of students gathered around the PTA closet in front of the auditorium to lend a hand by packaging meals for people in need.

This event is a volunteer opportunity for students, and whose goal is to help local kids and their families get nutritious meals that they might not get otherwise. Ten-to-fifteen students offered their help on Tuesday, giving up their, possibly, only free time during the school day at LAP. Any students who help pack lunches during one of the lunchtime sessions can submit the work and earn Student Service Learning hours or National Honor Society hours but, with or without the hours, most find it enjoyable and worthwhile to participate.

One student who participated in Smart Sacks on Tuesday was senior Ava Campbell, who claimed  that “participating in Smart Sacks is rewarding because you’re helping people in need, while also getting service hours.”

The fast-paced event consisted of an assembly line of students putting food items, such as oatmeal, beans, pasta, fruit cups, canned tuna, and rice, which was donated from Manna Food Bank, into plastic bags which are then delivered to Greencastle Elementary School and given to students to take home. By giving this food to the elementary school, kids can come to school more energized and ready to learn because they have received proper meals. The students helping usually pack around 60 meals but, with lots of help, the task can be done quickly and easily.

According to senior Oluchi Azubuike, someone who can be seen almost every single week at Smart Sacks, participating “gives me something to do on Tuesdays during lunch,” Azubuike continued, while heaving large boxes of food onto a table,  “and, it’s fun!”

This exceptional event takes a community issue into its own hands, while at the same time, helping the students who work for it make a difference in everyone’s lives.