Throughout this school year, second grade learners at Mineola’s Meadow Drive School have been collecting cans and bottles around the school with the dual intention of helping the environment and raising money to benefit the community.

The students formed recycling groups that rotated the responsibility of collecting and washing the cans and bottles every Friday before they were picked up by a parent volunteer who, with the help of their student, handled the return and collected the deposit.

At the conclusion of the campaign, the students had returned over 2,500 cans and bottles for a total of $127.25 and received donations of over $120, putting the total amount raised at $248.

With funds in hand and the help of parent volunteers, the students took a trip to Food Emporium to purchase food for a local food pantry. At the supermarket, they shopped, checked out and bagged the items, using calculators to ensure that they stayed within budget.

Finally, the students personally delivered the items to the food pantry at St. Aidan’s in Williston Park, where they proudly stocked the shelves and were thanked by staff and volunteers and told how their donation will help their neighbors in need.