DATE: Friday, November 21, 1997             TAG: 9711210659

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   57 lines

STUDENTS DIG DEEP IN FOOD DRIVE FOR FAMILIES

Fifth-grader Allen Perkins has worked food-can duty for the past two weeks, stacking packages of macaroni and cheese, Oodles of Noodles and cans of chicken soup for the poor.

He's organized his St. Helena Elementary classmates so well that by Thursday, his class had collected 115 items, the most in the annual Thanksgiving food drive.

``I think we've done a great job,'' the 12-year-old said.

``I like stacking the cans on the desk so that other kids can see what I do, and maybe they'll do things like I do.''

But this year's food drive has a twist - at least for St. Helena. The school, which has more than 90 percent of its population on free-and-reduced lunch, is giving the food away.

Previously, students held food drives for families among their student body. But this year, the 600 students decided to collect food for the Union Mission and had boxed 1,100 items by Thursday. The drive ends today.

The three classes that bring in the most food will get a pizza party next week, but school officials attribute the successful drive to students who simply were tired of being on the receiving end of charity.

``Berkley is perceived as a community always looking for something,'' said guidance counselor Gayle Gilmore.

``This is pride for the community. This is something other than kids dying. I've been a counselor here for four years and have been to three funerals of children in the community.

``This is a bright spot.''

The school began its drive the first week of November, a week earlier than usual, in hopes of doing better than the typical 100 food items. School administrators had no idea the school talk soon would center on brownie mixes and canned corn.

Charts hang in hallways with tallies for each class so that students can calculate their status as they walk to the lunchroom. Teachers have incorporated the food drive into classroom lessons.

Donna Mudge's first-grade class studied counting units of 1s, 10s and 100s Thursday by graphing the progress of each class. Students cut out miniature cans, shopping bags equivalent to 10 cans, and shopping equaling 100.

Six-year-old Aaron Perry quickly noted that his class was in third place, two shopping bags and four cans behind Allen Perkins' class.

``I'm going to bring all the food from my house,'' Aaron said, plotting to catch up.

But he said his bringing in cans of collards isn't all about the pizza party treat.

``We're doing this for poor people who don't have food and money. We'll give this to them so they won't be poor.'' ILLUSTRATION: TAMARA VONINSKI

The Virginian-Pilot

Students at St. Helena Elementary School in the Berkley section of

Norfolk have been collecting canned food for the Union Mission for

Thanksgiving. Near a classroom, students keep track of donations.

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