First-grade students at Zaharis Elementary School are teaching others a lesson about compassion, using lemonade as a vehicle to make a difference in the world—one cup at a time.
Their teacher, Julie Reichert, is no stranger to empowering her students to think critically. She wanted to find a way to inspire and provide a unique classroom experience, making lessons become personal to her students. Over the summer, she reached her aha moment when she realized, “All kids love lemonade stands.” Julie took the idea and ran with it. She enlisted the support of her husband, co-workers, school community and friends to help bring the idea to life.
Fast forward to April 18, at Zaharis Elementary School. The first-graders sported bright yellow T-shirts to signify their mission. The self-proclaimed Lemonheads presented a check for $414 to actor Jeff Bridges, the national spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry Share Our Strength campaign. The students welcomed the actor with a presentation showcasing their hard work through speech, art and song. The afternoon concluded when the actor signed the school wall, and thanked Principal Mike Oliver and the Zaharis community for making him a Soaring Eagle for life.
The Share Our Strength campaign and its message of stamping out childhood hunger was the perfect avenue for the first-graders to make a difference on a global level. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects children in need with nutritious food, and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. The campaign also engages the public to make ending childhood hunger a national priority. During the presentation, Jeff noted the fact 18 percent of families in Mesa are struggling with hunger.
At the beginning of the year, the students studied animals. They learned that animals need our help, too. Their first donation from the lemonade stand, for $268, went to the Phoenix Zoo. During the holidays, the students talked about the sensitive subjects of poverty, hunger and homelessness. They learned about compassion and that it is sometimes better to give then to receive. They took their passion and turned it into action, producing a donation of $368 for the United Food Bank.
Julie said she had no idea where the lemonade stand would go, but she could not have accomplished it without the help of others. She is proud of the students and their hard work. More importantly, she is excited to realize the students are becoming people who want to help others in every way imaginable.
For more information about No Kid Hungry Share Our Strength, please visit www.nokidhungry.org.