Press Release:

November 20, 2006

WALTHER STUDENTS COLLECT OVER 3000 FOOD ITEMS FOR PROVISO AREA FOOD PANTRY

	Walther students carry bags and boxes of canned and other non-perishable foods they collected down the hall. The over 3100 food items are destined for the Proviso Area Food Pantry.
Walther students begin loading the over 3100 donated food items they gathered onto the school bus for transport to the Proviso Area Food Pantry.
	Walther students listen to Proviso Area Food Pantry staff member Sonny Sanger explain how the outreach operates. The students delivered the over 3100 food items they collected in time for holiday distribution. [photos by Mark Korntheuer]

Twenty Walther Lutheran High School students boarded a box-laden school bus two days before Thanksgiving. Walther English teacher Mr. Jeremy Christian and his sophomore homeroom were awarded the honor of delivering over 3100 non-perishable food items to the Proviso Area Food Pantry. Christian's homeroom won the privilege by collecting the most canned and boxed goods of any other class in the Melrose Park high school. Each homeroom set collection goals and attempted to meet them. The winning sophomore class was among several that exceeded their goals. Along with Mr. Mark Korntheuer, Walther's Social Studies department chair, Christian and the students were greeted by Sonny and Mickey Sanger, who oversee the pantry operation at Cosmopolitan Church, 1112 N. 9 th Ave. in Melrose Park. The Walther delegation was given a tour, thanked and then directed as they unloaded the provisions.

Sophomore Chris Koehne, of Maywood, reported that Mr. Christian's class has originally set a goal of 60 items, but had to raise that when it was so quickly reached. Their winning food item count was 403. "It felt good to know that you are giving food to people who need it," said Koehne, who shared that he had gathered food for the pantry before but had never had a chance to see its distribution until now.

"It's a great lesson in Christian stewardship to provide food from the blessings we receive from God's bounty," stated Principal Stephen Zielke. "It was wonderful to see our Student Council excite the student body to provide from the blessings we have to help meet the needs of others. There is great joy in giving. I wish all of our students could have gone to deliver the food to the Proviso Food Pantry. The students who were fortunate to go were able to hear first hand about the needs of those who will receive the food and procedures for its distribution."

"It was a good way to share our blessings with others," said senior Jennifer Agosto, from Chicago. "As Christians, we know we are blessed and that everything we have come from God."

Students were exuberant and resourceful in their participation. Sophomore Antoinette Mitchell of Chicago decided to clean out the family pantry and ended up with 112 cans. She and her sister, Stephanie Mitchell, a junior, loaded up their car trunk and got help from classmates to carry the contribution into the school. Sophomore Rachel Solyom of Lombard visited the school Administration Office, stating that her homeroom was only a couple of cans short of its goal. She asked office personnel if they could contribute anything and walked away with several cans of soup and boxes of crackers from the "lunch at work" stash. Even teachers without homerooms got in on the act. Faculty and staff began a pile of canned offerings at the feet of the large wooden Bronco (the school's mascot) in the main entrance.

The ingathering was coordinated by Walther's Student Council and supervised by Guidance Counselor Gail Grebasch. "The kids have told me that the looks on the faces of the pantry's organizers and distributors was worth all the work," said Grebasch. "Really, isn't that what the Christian's life is all about.giving. I am thankful that our students have opportunities to look 'outside themselves' to a world that is in need of their compassion. I am especially thankful that teachers and staff at Walther help guide our students to understand that life is not 'about them' but about serving others."

This is one of several student service projects that the entire Walther student body will participate in this school year. The widest reaching project is scheduled for May 17, when Walther students and staff will go out into the community for Christian Service Day.

Walther Lutheran High School is a co-educational Christian school located at 9 th and Chicago in Melrose Park. The school has an enrollment of just over 400 students from over fifty different Chicagoland zip codes. For more information about Walther Lutheran High School, call 708.344.0404 or visit Walther.com.

Press Release contact: Lori Solyom, Public Information Coordinator