Bergen County Students Donate 88 Turkeys To Local Food Bank

DEMAREST, NJ — Students from the Academy of the Holy Angels organized to make Thanksgiving a little brighter for families in Bergen County.

Middle and high school students from AHA collectively donated 88 turkeys to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in the latest edition of the annual turkey drive.

“The high schoolers collected 62 turkeys, with the ninth grade having the largest percentage of participation in the high school with 18%,” said AHA Campus Minister Maryanne Miloscia, who also served as event organizer.

“The middle schoolers collected 26 turkeys, which is 43% participation.”

AHA works with CFBNJ throughout the year, and Holy Angels students regularly attend the food bank’s Teen Hunger Forum, and several have assisted CFBNJ with Global Youth Service Day, the school said.

Students regularly volunteer to educate others about issues relating to food insecurity and, more recently, the impact COVID-19 has had on hunger throughout the state, officials added.

Seniors Katherine “Amanda” Donohue, of Hoboken, and Alina Keshishian, of Englewood Cliffs, are members of the CFBNJ Teen Leadership Council. Sophomores Faye Kontzamanis and Nikki Theodorakos, both of Englewood Cliffs, are involved with the CFBNJ Teen Advisory Committee, the leadership group for the freshman and sophomore classes.

All of these students will help with the Sophomore Retreat, which focuses on local hunger issues, officials said.

Below are a few photos from donation day: