Giving Thanks: BCCS Schools Respond to Food Insecurity This Thanksgiving
With the holiday season ramping up, so has community involvement across BCCS schools with community members collecting nearly 1,500 pounds of food for Long Islanders facing food insecurity.
This year, the Children’s Education Center, Barbara C. Wilson Preschool, Post Avenue Preschool, and Marcus Avenue Preschool sought to bring the joy of Thanksgiving to families in need.
For November, social workers from all four campuses ran food drives to benefit families and local organizations. The internal food drives are annual events with donated food added to meal baskets for families to supplement their holiday dinners.
Volunteer Coordinator Jerri Walker and ten volunteers from Jericho-based freight and cargo company Purolator International made baskets in the Ed Center art room. The company’s community outreach arm, Purolator Gives Back (PBG), has been working with the agency since 2013 as part of PBG’s focus on supporting children and families, and tackling hunger and food insecurity locally. 
Ultimately, the Children’s Education Center, Barbara C. Wilson Preschool, and Post Avenue Preschool collected nearly 1,000 pounds of food for baskets given to 70 families. In their baskets, families also received a $40 gift card to a local grocery store.
The Marcus Avenue Preschool food drive collected nearly 700 food items from families and staff to donate to food pantries across Long Island. The food went to St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Elmont, ICNA Relief Muslims for Humanity Food Pantry in New Hyde Park, and Island Harvest Food Bank in Bethpage. In total, the Marcus Avenue Preschool collected over 400 pounds of food.