Toms River South Students Deliver Thanksgiving To Needy Families

TOMS RIVER, NJ — For members of the Toms River South National Honor Society, community service has a special meaning at Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, the 2019-2020 National Honor Society members continued a tradition that's older than the students, delivering Thanksgiving meals to families in need in the Toms River South community, including in South Toms River, Beachwood and Toms River.

The community service project, which marked its 24th year this year, has provided meals for more than 500 families over the years.

The students raise money through "Gobble-grams," which are candy and messages for friends. At $2 each, the National Honor Society raised enough money to fund 25 dinners, said Mary Highton, a math teacher and the National Honor Society adviser.

The meals are delivered completely prepared, needing only to be reheated, thanks to the assistance of the Ohana Grill in Lavallette. The restaurant, owned by Dana and James Costello, is in its fifth year of working with the students to provide the meals.

Ohana Grill first got involved in 2015 when the National Honor Society had to seek out a new partner, after Foodtown in Toms River, the group's longtime partner in the Thanksgiving project, closed.

Dana Costello was a business teacher at Toms River South at the time, and Highton took her up on the offer to help the students complete their project.

On Tuesday morning, the students were bused to Ohana Grill, loaded up the meals and then delivered them to the families. Once they returned to Toms River South, they prepared the Gobble-grams, which were delivered Wednesday morning.

The dinners include a fully cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and pie. Highton said the families chosen to receive the dinners are all Toms River South students, and were identified by the school's child study team and guidance counselors.

"It's just a great thing to be a part of," James Costello has said. "We're blessed that we run a successful business, and I have the wherewithal and the time to help out."

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