Indian Creek Class of 2021 Helps to Provide 5738 Meals through Food Bank of New York City

Class trips are an Indian Creek tradition designed to provide students with fun, meaningful, experiences that create memories and build friendships within each class. This year’s Sophomore Class Trip to New York City was especially effective in accomplishing this goal, not only due to the entertaining activities in which the students participated, but especially due to the incredible work that the class accomplished for the New York City Food Bank.

The ICS Class of 2021 spent the morning of Thursday, September 13, on what many students considered the highlight of the trip: volunteering at the Food Bank For New York City. The Food Bank warehouses and distributes free food for over 1.5 million hungry New Yorkers each year. During their short time at the bank, the Indian Creek students boxed 6766 pounds of food, which will help provide 5738 individual meals to those in need. “This was, by far, the best service activity I’ve ever had the privilege to experience with students in all my years of teaching,” shared Upper School Dean of Student Activities Tonya Montgomery. Ms. Montgomery was incredibly proud of how the sophomore class worked together, stepping up to accomplish a variety of tasks in order to accomplish a lofty goal.

Indian Creek students were sent to two separate locations for their service project. One group of students worked at a warehouse, sorting, categorizing, and weighing donations, and then building boxes and repackaging needed items for distribution to food banks across New York City. After being given general instructions, students were left to figure out the steps they needed to take in order to accomplish this goal. The Food Bank representative was very impressed by the phenomenal teamwork displayed by the Indian Creek students, and even shared that the ICS group accomplished more during their time-slot than any other group has ever gotten done.

The second Indian Creek group was sent to a Food Bank “recipient location,” where they set up a “market” for senior citizens to come and shop for needed items. After the shop was set up, Indian Creek students worked with individual customers to help them find everything they needed. Many of our students relied on their World Language skills, conversing with their customers in Spanish. One Indian Creek journalism student was even asked to interview customers about what the program means to them, and record their answers on Paper Plates which will be hung in a sister bank being formed in Washington, D.C.

The Indian Creek sophomore class enjoyed their time with the Food Bank New York City for many reasons. As one sophomore shared, “This project was really good class bonding – not cheesy forced bonding. I was impressed by my friends and what we all did together today.”