The ConVal Class of 2020 has opted to donate to the End 68 Hours of Hunger organization as their senior gift.
“It’s inspiring, and it’s amazing, and it just gives you goosebumps. Here these kids are helping their peers, basically, and identifying this is a need,” End 68 Hours program coordinator Carol Cleary said, calling the gift “overwhelming. And so appreciated.” The senior class announced their intent to donate $6,800 at graduation, following a $1,000 donation late in the spring, class treasurer Zoe Werth said. The ConVal Class of 2021 also donated $1,000 in the spring, she said.
Senior classes sometimes contribute things like engraved benches, but it was much more appealing to the Class of 2020 to provide direct aid for community members, including their peers, Werth said. The funds were raised over the past four years and most would have been spent on their class trip and prom, both of which were canceled. “I think rather than being remembered, we’d much rather encourage and inspire future classes to make similar contributions when given the opportunity,” Werth said about her class’s legacy, noting the 2021 students’ matching donation. “It would be amazing too, if we could inspire other community members to come together during hard times rather than be divided. The current climate in this country, as well as in local areas, pits neighbors against each other and focuses on divisiveness, rather than working together to better our community,” she said.
“It was really nice to have a graduation held in person,” Werth said, praising organizers for finding a way to have Saturday’s nearly-normal graduation while still following COVID-19 guidelines. “I think it was a nice bit of closure that many of the seniors missed out on earlier this year,” she said, and noted that the class still has money in the account for reunions and future events.
End 68 Hours of Hunger provides bags of food for students in need, its name referring to the 68 hours over a weekend when students who rely on school breakfasts and lunches go without. They’re in good financial shape to start the school year, Cleary said, and the organization is making plans with the ConVal SAU to determine how to continue reaching families whether students are remote or in-person.
Families of ConVal students should know that End 68 Hours doesn’t require proof of need or lengthy applications, Cleary said. “You don’t have to qualify or anything like that, just let us know you need a bag of food,” she said, adding that they figure that anyone asking for help is being sincere. Demand spiked to 300 bags a week in April, after schools closed, and remained high through June, she said. Demand dropped this summer, as it has in years past for reasons that are unclear to organizers, Cleary said, but noted that other assistance programs are currently available to families. They’re currently giving out 125 bags of food a week and expect demand to pick up when school starts again, she said. The Food Bank has been providing the majority of their food at a discount, which allows them to stretch their dollars, she said.