Deltona students Reach Out

PHOTO COURTESY RYAN RINALDO
Heapin’ helpings of help — Deltona High School Student Government Association President Ryan Rinaldo and Vice President Denise Fierro show the fruits — and vegetables — of their labors. They led a Student Reach Out food drive and collected more than 800 items at a pep rally.

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Nov 8, 2009 - 11:10:03am

When students at Deltona High School met for a pep rally recently to prepare for the big game with DeLand High, more than football was on their minds.

Many were thinking of fellow students whose families are struggling for basics, such as food for the table. The young people wanted to have a food drive to help these families.

Past food drives, Student Government Association President Ryan Rinaldo said, “were successful, but not real successful.”

So, he and Student Government Association Vice President Denise Fierro came up with an idea to combine football and food. They asked students to bring two cans of food each for the Student Reach Out program as admission to the “Battle of the Bone” pep rally in October.

They were floored by the response: more than 800 items of food.

Students whose families need help can contact their school guidance counselor, who will get them set up with food, clothing, even Christmas gifts. Families can get help up to nine times a year.

School counselor Michelle Scully works with the program.

“Student Reach Out provides a wonderful service for our families here at Deltona High School,” she said.

Scully praised Rinaldo’s leadership in directing the drive. He’s also been attending Student Reach Out meetings.

It’s a great way to get students involved in outreach, she said, helping them learn about community needs and resources, and giving them an opportunity to show leadership.

Four Townes Moose Lodge in DeBary provides the location for Student Reach Out.

DeBary Mayor Bob Garcia, a longtime Moose member, is a big fan.

He was pleased with the results of the recent Deltona High students’ food drive.

“God bless them,” Garcia said.

Garcia said a Moose member named Tom Hoffman began the Student Reach Out program in the late 1980s.

“Hoffman had a dream and a vision of kids being involved in kids helping the community,” Garcia said.

The program was run out of Deltona for a while; then the Four Townes Moose Lodge offered it a home.

Garcia said more than 600,000 meals have been served as a result of Student Reach Out.

The Student Reach Out center at Four Townes Moose Lodge No. 655, 201 Benson Junction Road in DeBary, is open 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Donations of nonperishable foods and money are appreciated.

Keith Bradshaw, one of the directors of the Student Reach Out program, said 280 families are being fed through the program. With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, all contributions are appreciated.

The Moose Lodge will donate 60 or 70 turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets; more are needed. Also, high-school students can build community-service hours by volunteering at the Student Reach Out center on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

For more information, call 386-668-8108.

— info@beacononlinenews.com

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