SOUTHINGTON – The annual food drive in honor of a late Southington teacher will help stock the shelves for a popular outreach program run by Bread for Life.
The 7th Annual Cheryl A. Jankura Memorial Food Drive will run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sat., June 13, at Bread for Life, 31 Vermont Ave., in Southington.
The items collected will help supplement the meals provided through the nonprofit’s Summer Lunch Program.
“Simply having lunch can be a challenge for children who receive free meals at school. When summer comes and school is out, there is a food gap and Bread for Life steps in to fill it,” said Missy Cipriano, executive director. “Last summer we prepared and served thousands of lunches for Southington children in need. Through the lunch program we were able to help many families that may be challenged by feeding their children during the summer.”
The wish list for the Summer Lunch Program includes water bottles, juice boxes, granola and breakfast bars, fruit cups, fruit snacks, chips, cookies, pudding and other individually-packaged items.
To help cover the cost of perishable food items, grocery store gift cards are welcomed, as are monetary donations that can be made by check or online.
The collection each year honors Jankura, a celebrated visual arts teacher for 36 years in Southington who spent the majority of her career at the high school. She retired in 2005 and died in 2011 at age 63.
The food drive will additionally celebrate the annual “Southington Legacy” honorees. This year, four retired longtime Southington school district standouts who have died in the last year will be recognized – Deputy Superintendent of Schools Dr. Angelo Coppola; elementary and middle school nurse Eileen Tompkins; high school football coach Jude Kelly and music teacher Conrad Gozzo.
Honorary alumni ambassadors for the food drive are Michael Stewart, (Class of 1995), a former student of Jankura’s who named his art school in South Korea for her; and Karyn Fortier (Class of 1997), educator and longtime coach and mentor.
For more information, visit www.BreadforLife.us or call Cipriano at 860-276-8389.