Charleroi Area reaches out to community at Thanksgiving
Holly Tonini
Barbara Pepper, a Charleroi School District board member, places a turkey in her car. Pepper and her husband, Robert, will be delivering Thanksgiving meals to families in the district.
Charleroi School District superintendent Ed Zelich moves boxes of food that will be loaded into cars and delivered to families within the district.
Holly Tonini
Boxes of food donated by the Mon Valley YMCA await pickup.
On a frosty Tuesday morning, volunteers loaded food for Thanksgiving meals into cars at the loading dock in the rear of the Charleroi Area High School/Middle School.
The 20 volunteers, comprised of school board members and school employees, packaged the food into boxes that include everything for a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner so volunteers could deliver the food to the homes of the 40 district children whose families are in need.
“Turkeys on the go,” said school board director Barb Pepper.
Pepper and her husband, retired school principal Bob Pepper, delivered packages to 11 homes.
“It’s quietly been going on for 14 years,” said Julie Filander, secretary to the superintendent.
The initiative was started by Dr. Brad Ferko, the former superintendent.
“He wanted to keep it low key,” Filander said.
“The kids don’t know where the food is coming from, but it’s just there.”
Filander smiled when she said she was recruited for the project.
“I enjoy doing it, just to help people who need the help,” Filander said. “It’s a lot of people helping.”
She reaches out to the community through letters, providing a list of needed supplies and asking for donations.
“Then the checks start rolling in,” Filander said.
At the same time, a school social worker and guidance counselors identify the homes in need.
“I call and ask if they will accept (the food) — most do,” said Filander.
“It’s done in the morning while the kids are in school so they don’t know where it comes from.”
She said the project is supported by the teachers as well.
“We try to do 40 dinners each year,” Filander said. “I call Giant Eagle, and they say, ‘You don’t need to send me a list. It is the same as last year, right?'”
A district cafeteria truck picks up the food and delivers it to the school for packaging and distribution.
“Sometimes, when you show up (at a home), you’d like to give them more,” Filander said.
Although they donated to the fund, the Peppers were delivering meals for the first time. Barb Pepper said it is important to show someone kindness so they can pass it on.
“Anytime we can help people and share to make their Thanksgiving better, it makes our Thanksgiving better,” Barb Pepper said.
Now retired, Bob Pepper served the district for 37 years, the last three as elementary center principal.
“It’s that time of the year to be thankful and help other people,” Bob Pepper said.
Filander had a simple explanation for why the tradition continues.
“Because there’s a lot of need out there,” said Filander, “and it’s for the students.”