One of the things that sets Adventist schools apart is being active in the community and following in Jesus’ footsteps by helping the less fortunate. It’s important to get our young people out in the community and making a difference. Students at Adventist Junior Academy are doing just that! For our monthly Bible lab this month, students in grades 3-6 volunteered at a local food pantry.

Upon arriving, we were given a tour of the facility and learned a bit about Leo Frigo, the man who founded the pantry. Paul’s Pantry runs on donations from grocery stores. Volunteers sort and repackage the donated food so it can be given to hungry families. Our job was to repackage cereal boxes so that they could be distributed to families, and then to recycle the boxes.

The kids got right to work and soon an assembly line developed. Some students opened the cereal boxes, while others took out the cereal bag, and handed the boxes to other students who flattened them and took them to the recycling bin. Pastor Titus, who was kind enough to help drive and chaperone, commented on how well the students worked together and got along. In no time, all the cereal was sorted! The lady in charge mentioned how quickly we got it done and how neatly the cereal was stacked. The kids loved this experience and asked if they could come back every week! Students experienced first-hand the pleasure that comes from helping others. One thankful parent commented online, “I’m so glad my kids are at AJA; this is one of the reasons why.”

Adele Inglish, Grade 3-6, Green Bay Adventist Junior Academy