Special to the Eagle The students of Tina Garris’ class helped to collect a total of 1,622 cans of food to benefit the Pine Island Food Pantry. Present are PIE Principal Rob Mazzoli and students Ryan Long, Ulices Caperon, David Loredo, Matt Wyatt, Chance Tucker, Zachery Strickland and Vallory Woodruff.

While families continue to struggle during the holiday season, the students in one class at Pine Island Elementary took it upon themselves to help ease the food budgets for island families in need.

Tina Garris’ fifth grade class spent three weeks collecting canned goods during the annual food drive at the school. As a result the children collected 1,622 cans of food that were packed and delivered by the students to the Pine Island Food Pantry.

“We at the pantry are singing the praises of the school; their teacher, Tina Garris; and these youngsters. It is so wonderful to see young people learning the ways of caring and sharing,” said Barbara LaPlante, pantry treasurer “We are also very grateful to the generous people of Pine Island who make food drives like this one such a great success.”

The students called on their fellow classmates to contribute and when food was brought in, the children went to each of the classrooms to retrieve the donations and deposit them to a central collection location at the school.