Quad Cities Christian Students Box Up Food and Blessings for Area Families at Christmas
Last week, more than 100 high school students, teachers, and administrators from Quad Cities Christian School in Moline, Ill., volunteered to prepare Salvation Army boxed meals for Quad Cities families and seniors.
With limited space at the Corps in Davenport, Iowa, students assembled 750 Salvation Army food boxes at the Moline Corps on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The boxed meals will be given to families in need in both cities.
Included in the boxes are a full Christmas dinner, canned goods and nonperishables, and a food voucher for fresh produce and meat from Hy-Vee.
“It was great to see them in action; they put the boxes together in an assembly line,” said Major Bob Doliber of the Davenport Corps. “It was very efficient, and they seemed to enjoy their time doing something to help others.”
Families and senior citizens signed up for Christmas assistance in November. Families with children also registered to receive toys for the Christmas season.
The connection with Quad Cities Christian School came from Moline (Ill.) Corps Lt. Kristi Dalberg, who, along with her husband, Lt. John, has children attending the school.
Dalberg said the relationship began this fall, and when the opportunity to participate in this project arose, she immediately knew the school would be a good fit.
“We had been looking for an opportunity to partner together, and this turned out great,” she said. “The entire high school spent the afternoon helping out, and everyone was passionate about doing something to help others.”
As part of their curriculum, students are required to do volunteer hours each quarter, so the entire school took the afternoon off to work on this project. At the conclusion of their work, everyone prayed together for the families that would be receiving the boxed meals.
Dalberg said the overall effort proved to be a good opportunity for the students, as it helped them understand that anyone can be impacted by difficult times.
The project has sparked a Battle of the Bells competition between the high school and Quad Cities Christian Elementary to see which can raise the most money for The Salvation Army before December 21st.
“It’s important to get kids involved early so they understand the importance of serving the community however we can,” Dalberg said. “This has provided an opportunity to talk to them about who we are and what we do.
“There are needs around them in their community, and this was a productive way for them to see that and do something to help others.”