Students and faculty of Glendale Adventist Academy (GAA) and Glendale Adventist Elementary School held a four-week food drive that benefited needy area families as well as individuals impacted by Southern California fires.

Kirk Dunn, GAA Home and School Association leader, coordinated the drive, challenging individual classrooms to bring in food weighing more than the combined weight of five large staff members. Excitement ran high. The third-grade class collected the most food—approximately 1,400 pounds.

During the weigh-in process in the second-grade class, Dunn noticed a number of individual bags of chips and fruit cups. "Those chips are from my lunch yesterday; that fruit cup is from lunch the day before," confessed one student. "I couldn't bring big stuff, so I gave these things."

“Each day he had personally sacrificed from his own lunch to donate to what he considered to be an important cause," Dunn reflected. “When a few students began to laugh at their classmate’s small donations I told them, ‘This young man actually donated the most, because it didn't just come from his parents, but from his own heart.’”

He shared the Bible story about the widow's mite, and the boys affirmed their classmate’s gift-giving. “In moments like these,” added Dunn, “one appreciates what Christian education is all about.”

As students brought food to be boxed in preparation for distribution, they were amazed to find that they had collected more than 7,000 pounds of food—an amount that filled the back of a pick-up truck and attached trailer. The food was delivered to Glendale Adventist Medical Center's Community Service Thrift Shop for delivery to local families in need. The thrift shop also worked closely with the Red Cross to assist families impacted by the fires.

Other SCC schools reached out to fire victims, too. They collectively selected the Teele family, whose three children attend San Antonio Junior Academy and who lost everything in the fire. West Covina Hills Adventist School's 45 students raised more than $200 in two days for the family. Principal James Johnson of Adventist Christian School in Ridgecrest reported, “My students collected seven large bags full of clothes and sent this to SAJA for the Teele’s.”

Simi Valley Adventist School and South Bay Junior Academy students raised more than $2,000 for the family by having a "Jeans Day." Students are ordinarily expected to wear their uniform on Friday, but on that particular day they could "pay" for the privilege of wearing jeans if they brought a $5 donation.

At press time, Keith Teele updates, “We have found a place in Fontana and have been able to furnish our house there with furniture donated by church members. From the bags of clothing we were given, we found much that we could use, and then passed along the rest to organizations helping other fire victims. A big thanks to members in Southern California and Southeastern California conferences! We would not be where we are today had we not had the help they gave us. It is a testimony of what God’s family does to help each other in times of need.”