On April 1, Wise School students donated nearly one ton of food to needy families as part of the Wise Parents Association SOVA Passover Market.
One by one, Wise School students walked up to the bins by the blue tent on the carpool circle. They dropped in cans and boxes, jars and bottles, any non-perishable food they could bring from home.
From preschool through sixth grade, year by year, they deposited their donations, rewarded with a big circular sticker, and smiles from proud parents.
Since 2016, Wise School’s Wise Parents Association and its Tikkun Olam committee have run SOVA food drives on the Wise campus. On April 1, the annual Passover SOVA Market netted a school-record 1,803 pounds of food for hungry families, and over $1,000 in donated cash.
“It is up to us to plant the seeds of Tikkun Olam in our children for a better tomorrow,” said Wise School parent Leila Javaheri.
The goal of SOVA drives like this one is to teach the children of the Wise community about the importance of charity, and about the power of individuals, especially when they work together. Parents dropping off their students were able to purchase food packages that would go to needy families, paying $5, $10, or $25. While that may not sound like much in terms of dollars and cents, the impact of those purchases is magnified because the food pantry has three times the purchasing power as the general public.
A check for the $1,236.55 will soon be delivered to the pantry by the Tikkun Olam committee. In turn, the pantry will give committee members and their children a tour of the facility and a greater understanding of how their organization operates.
Wrote Head of School Tami Weiser: “We truly embodied the message of Passover—’Let all who are hungry, come and eat!'”
