Queen Creek students help community during holidays

The Queen Creek Unified School District’s Family Resource Center has been working with district schools to help provide meals for community members in need during the holidays.

In total, the center picked up and delivered Thanksgiving food boxes to 175 families, according to a district press release.

“Nearly every school in QCUSD contributed food donations to make this possible. Drives were organized and supported by student leadership groups at each school, such as student council, LOL and Student Lighthouse,” the release stated.

The event was made possible thanks to volunteers and donations from the following:

• Heart Cry Church
• Chicanos Por La Causa
• Crismon High School and CHS Student Council
• Queen Creek High School and Student Council and Key Club
• Kiwanis Club of Queen Creek
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Walmart
• Rock Point Church
• CCV Church
• Mission Ministry Church
• Bell Photography
• COSTCO
• QCUSD schools and PTOs
• The Rodriguez Group

Schools also sought other ways to give back to the community. The Desert Mountain Elementary student council led a sock drive to benefit the Andre House in Phoenix, collecting more than 150 pairs of socks from the surrounding community.

Silver Valley Elementary gathered donations for the East Mesa Food Bank, and the LOL Club donated 380 blankets to the Pinal County Animal Care Center.

Queen Creek Junior High School WEB Club and the student council received more than 1,000 donations for their bean-and-noodle drive and delivered them to the Family Resource Center.

QCUSD high schools also pulled together to support those in need. The Eastmark National Honor Society visited the Pinal County Animal Care Center to donate more than 500 blankets.

On Nov. 25, student council and key club students from Queen Creek High School helped serve families with donations from the center’s food drive at the food bank.

As the holidays approach, many schools also have an angel tree in their lobbies. Check with your school to help make an impact on children and families in need this holiday season.

Tax credit donations are another way to directly support students in the district. Tax credit donations help teachers and staff, clubs and programs, and student academics.

Contribute up to $200 per year to public schools and claim a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit. Donations can be made at https://www.qcusd.org/school-tax-credit.