Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) recently held a “Fill the Bus” food and donations collection to help children who receive weekly food bags on Fridays to help them have food to eat over the weekend. This is part of HOSA members’ class project on child hunger in the United States. They have also made radio public service announcements and are making a video to educate the public about child hunger in the United States.

The “Fill the Bus” project was held at Walmart on November 16. Walmart also graciously provided a large bin for customers to drop food donations into, as well as allowing our students to receive food or money contributions outside.

It was a great success with more than $477 in cash and over $500 in non-perishable food items collected that day, and more has been collected since then. The support of the wonderful people of Brownsville and Haywood County never ends. “Career and Tech Director Pam Diebold, HOSA sponsor Julie Taylor, students, as well as the Coordinated School Health program, under which the Backpack Food Program is orchestrated, sincerely appreciate everyone who made this project successful,” said Cindy Smith, who is the director of the Coordinated School Health Program.

Along with receiving the food and money, the HOSA students help with the packing of the bags into large tubs that are delivered each Thursday afternoon to the schools for distribution on Fridays. They are involved in every level of the Backpack Food Program and have become very knowledgeable about the needs of children in Haywood County.