Students feed the hungry with peanut butter and jelly

by Paul Castillo

      In the FHS cafeteria, Green Valley High School student Payton Forener grabbed a couple slices of white bread and began spreading peanut butter and jelly to create a sandwich.
     It was one of over twenty sandwiches she made that evening on Nov. 8 to help the Student Council and other FHS students feed the homeless as part of their annual PB&Jathon. Most of the money was donated by the over 300 students and parents who participated, and Stuco added about $300 from their budget.
     “It felt great,” Forener said. “You give back to the community, you help the less fortunate, and you feel good; you get good karma.”
      Each year, the event produces about 2,000 sandwiches. “Three Square and a few other organizations package the sandwhiches in brown paper bags and give them a little meal during the holidays,” Student Body president Joseph Pagan said.
     Kids and parents from all across the district participated in the event, including students from Foothill, Basic, Green Valley, Burkholder, Silverado, Mannion, Coronado, Bob Miller, Greenspun, Liberty and Del Webb.
     This was one of many charity events in the district, but it’s a bit different from food drives and 5k runs, as students actually make the food themselves. “Events like these help bring the Henderson community together and encourage people to go out and do good things around the city,” said yearbook Editor-in-chief Kynlee Zeller.
     Pagan said that each year the event grows as more people hear about it and want to take part. More people means more sandwiches, which means more food for more for the homeless. All it takes is just one peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
     “It’s just for a really good cause,” said Haley Huff, a Foothill Student Council member. “I got to know other people from other schools and to see how we all came together for a good cause.”­

Photos by Josh Petrolia