Deerfield Students Make A Difference With Annual Good Deeds Tour

DEERFIELD, IL — In a tradition that started in 2017, students from Deerfield's Hellenic American Academy recently traveled around Chicagoland helping others. According to school officials, the effort was made in part due to a partnership with the Loukoumi Made A Difference Foundation Good Deed Bus Tour. The tour was held on Make A Difference Day on Oct. 25.

The tour included three stops. Students began their day with a visit to the residents of the Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre in Wheeling, where students spent time with residents and shared wish list items they collected for the residents to enjoy.

Next, the students were off to Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville to pack nutritious meals specifically designed to assist in reversing and preventing undernutrition. The meals will be distributed to schools, orphanages, clinics and feeding programs around the world to deliver hope and break the cycle of poverty, according to the school. The students packed enough meals for 65 children to eat every day for a year in 90 minutes.

In the final good deed, students assembled care packages for Fill a Heart 4 Kids. Fill a Heart 4 kids serves over 1,400 children that are homeless or in foster care in the surrounding communities. Officials said students also raised $1,500 for Fill a Heart 4 Kids that will help purchase warm costs for at risk children.

According to the school, the partnership with The Loukoumi Make A Difference Foundation "hopes to inspire a new generation of service leaders." The organization is inspired by the book series, "Loukoumi's Good Deeds," written by author Nick Katsoris. School officials said the book series shares stories of making a difference, showing empathy, antibullying, giving back.

"Really a positive message of pride in self, pride in family, pride in community and doing the right thing," the school said.