Every year, at the end of November, Rancocas Valley Regional High School holds the Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive. Numerous clubs within RV participate in bringing food, baskets, and other materials, putting them together, and making them look presentable for the recipients. Putting together the Thanksgiving baskets not only brings the students together, but also the families that are receiving them. They can gather their families around the table and enjoy a meal that they may not have been able to afford. While giving back to the community brings joy to students, teachers who advise clubs have pride in seeing students give back to the community. People who participate in the Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that they are inspiring future generations to give back to the community.
Mrs. Pugliese, the advisor for the Yearbook baskets, expresses that being charitable has a deeper meaning behind it than just giving food to those in need: “Participating in a food drive is important because we are a community and it is important that we take care of one another.” Her goal is to get students in the habit of giving back to the community, as there are so many people in the world who have less in life than others. “It’s important to help others and I want to help my students have those opportunities to understand the importance of being charitable and paying it forward,” she said. She expands on the importance that RV, as a community, comes together and bonds over helping others, especially during the holidays: “We all have our obstacles, some more than others at any given time, and when we are able to come together as a group to help lift up those who need it, it reminds us the power and importance of goodness. It helps those who are struggling to know that they are not alone and provides hope.”
Mrs. Redfield, the advisor for the Key Club and National Honor Society Thanksgiving baskets, indulges in helping a community that is less fortunate than others: “I think that it is important, especially during Thanksgiving, that we remember there are people close to us, and around us, and who live near us who don’t have what we have.” Considering that a lot of people are unaware of the struggles that most families have to face around the holidays, “giving is super important and sharing that with the students [of RV], and opening up everyone’s eyes to the reality of what goes on around them, is the most important thing.” Especially because the Thanksgiving baskets are given to local families, the food prepared could be going to the families of students in the RV community which is important to Mrs. Redfield, that RV comes together to do some good for the community: “It is important that we are all a team and all work together.”
It is important for RV to come together and provide families with the opportunities to indulge in a holiday meal and spend time with their families without having to worry about how much money they are going to spend. Along with letting families know that they are not alone during the holidays, RV comes together as a community and works to help one another during a time when family and friends are cherished.