Harbour Pointe Christian Preschool held a season-long food drive to assist the Packs for Kids program, also a ministry of Pointe of Grace Lutheran Church in Mukilteo. Packs for Kids offers snacks and meals for weekends and holidays to about 120 students in the Mukilteo School District who receive free or reduced price meals during the school week.
The drive got off to a big start in November with 374 cans of tuna, beating the preschoolers’ goal of 200. But that goes fast with 120 students served week after week. “We all wanted to do more,” preschool director Kim Kusilek said.
They aimed higher for a Christmas food drive, and Kusilek made it more fun by changing the “12 Days of Christmas” song to include key collection items, from “one big box of dry cereal” to “12 applesauce cups” (and a “five one-dollar bills” refrain).
“I have heard wonderful stories of families singing their ways through grocery store aisles,” Kusilek said.
Based on the song, the children ended up with more than 38 boxes of dry cereal, 42 jars of peanut butter, 73 cans of soup, 76 pudding cups, 65 one-dollar bills, 160 packs of raisins, 67 Tuna Helper boxes, 318 granola bars, 140 cans of tuna, 222 fruit juice boxes, 215 boxes of macaroni and cheese, and 150 applesauce cups.
