North Bellmore student helps feed the needy
Brigid Flanagan, a sixth-grader at Martin Avenue Elementary School in the North Bellmore School District, organized a monthlong collection of peanut butter and jelly to help feed the needy. Credit: Island Photography
A North Bellmore student recently spearheaded a peanut butter and jelly drive at her school to help feed the needy.
Brigid Flanagan, a sixth-grader at Martin Avenue Elementary School, organized a monthlong collection that resulted in 52 jars of peanut butter, 36 jars of jelly, and 31 packages of spoons and knives, among other things.
The items will be used by the Peanut Butter and Jelly Gang at the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in North Merrick, where Brigid has volunteered making sandwiches each week since October.
The completed sandwiches are then sent to the Mary Brennan INN's soup kitchen in Long Beach and the Long Island Council of Churches's food pantry in Freeport.
"I was surprised and overjoyed," Brigid, 12, said of the volume of donations. "It was important because volunteers were trying to help people in need, but they were running out of supplies."
Brigid also plays flute and is a member of her school's chorus, small vocal ensemble, Design Squad, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club, and Chat and Chew book club. In addition, she is part of her school district's festival chorus and the Maria Regina Sea Angels CYO swim team.
"I was blown away by her altruistic nature and professionalism," Martin Avenue Principal Leyna Malone said. "I'm also very proud of our school community as a whole."
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
