Annual Banquet for Project HOPE this Thursday

Site of Project HOPE Teen Center

Project HOPE Coalition members met to discuss the seasonal finale of the HOPE Center Project set for Thursday, March 14 at 7pm at Lincoln Elementary School.  A portion of the evening will be devoted to a presentation of the Lead2Feed project highlighting efforts to curtail world hunger.  

Lamar High School students, Lauren Tinnes and Sarah Blain presented a brief outline during the Coalition meeting Monday afternoon.  Older students have been education Teen Center students about the detrimental effects hunger has on a person or community.  On average about 20 students at the Teen Center plan to develop a marketing project in which they create, advertise and sell a product locally.  Tinnes and Blain said the advertising is complete, and they’re in the early manufacturing stage.  To date the project has eight investors and they and the public will be given an update during the Thursday banquet and the proceeds from a silent auction will help benefit a charity that works towards ending world hunger. 

Carla Warman and Susan Hansen of NRCS told Coalition members that numerous zucchini and pumpkin seeds were planted in the Teen Center garden recently and the students will receive a donated bee house and bird feeders to aid native pollination this spring and summer in the garden.  Students were educated on the importance of bees for pollination and the degree to which fruits, vegetables and plants were dependent on pollination for their survival.  Hansen said the kids were also enthusiastic about developing their own community compost heap and have been bringing in contributions each week. 

Lori Hammer, Project HOPE Executive Director said employees from the school system’s Central Kitchen approached her regarding their efforts to secure a grant which can provide an evening snack for students through the summer as well as a second grant which could provide a free lunch weekdays for students under 18 years of age.    Some summer fund-raising ideas were discussed including a Frisbee golf tournament or a local car wash event or car hopping meals at a local fast food restaurant.  Project HOPE is funded primarily through a JAG grant, but the grant is automatically reduced by 10% each year in the four year cycle. 

Becky Navarette recapped the annual, ‘Girls in the Middle’ seminar held each year at the Wellness Center at Lamar Community College.  Aimed at empowering middle school age girls about their future career possibilities, Navarette said 80 girls attended the recent event and three scholarships to LCC were given to eighth graders.  She said Eads was represented for the first time this year.  Career opportunities in the medical field were highlighted by several of the speakers.  Plans are underway for next year’s gathering which occurs in the first weekend of March.  

By Russ Baldwin