January 10, 2012—The holiday season is a time for making spirits bright. Helping those who are less fortunate feel the joy of the season is a special gift, and School Nutrition Association headquarters staff set out to do just that by seeking ways to help the local community.

After learning how heavy flooding in the metropolitan area damaged Prince George’s County (Md.) Public Safety Assistance Program’s (PGPS) entire stock of shelf-stable foods and equipment, the Association decided to help the program start over by holding not just a canned and boxed goods drive, but two drives for canned and boxed goods—one in November and one in December.

PGPS did not have any equipment to hold the food, so they were grateful when one employee kindly donated seven storage bins. The Association also worked with the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services-Transitional Housing Program to “adopt” a family. Employees brought in warm clothing and fun gifts for the family in need. Chief Operating Officer Patti Montague, CAE, even decided to give the children a  Nintendo Wii gaming system that the Association had used as part of a fitness demonstration during an Annual National Conference.

Staff members returned to work from the holiday break to thank you letters from each child from the family that expressed how happy they were to receive the gifts.

As a business whose vision and mission involves the healthy development of children, the School Nutrition Association believes that a child’s emotional health is an integral part of his or her well-being. The Association hopes to continue embracing the local community with future giving opportunities and invites members to share how their state affiliates give back to the community during the holiday season or any other time.