Wonder Girls Pack Food For Needy Families On Giving Tuesday

NYACK, NY — In support of Giving Tuesday, 60 girls from North Rockland High School and Fieldstone Middle School packed hundreds of bags of products donated by Goya to distribute to families in need this holiday season.

They're members of Wonder Girls, an empowerment program for middle, high school and college girls that is focused on building confidence, leadership, community and business skills. Goya Foods has been a supporter since the start of the organization three years ago.

They packed at the Haverstraw Center in Rockland County.

"We lead by example and we want our girls to learn what it means to be socially responsible and to really care about helping others and also supporting each other," said Natalie Maniscalco, co-founder of Wonder Girls. "The best part of this all for us, is seeing the smiles on our girls' faces and hearing how they feel about being productive and helping their community as leaders."

The group knows their community needs the help. Rockland, about 14 percent of people live below the poverty line. That figure is larger than the national average, according to Data USA, which also reported that in 2022, 26.3 percent of the county population was living with severe housing problems.

The choice of Giving Tuesday was deliberate.

"This is the time to celebrate and give thanks to our families and each other, and at Goya, we do that by lending a helping hand to those less fortunate in our communities," said Bob Unanue, President and CEO of Goya Foods. "Through our Goya Gives initiative, we donate food throughout the year when needed but every holiday season, we make sure to donate more to not only provide a warm meal but to bring comfort to families and individuals who may otherwise go without."

It looks simple enough – just a girl's organization doing some community service — but beneath the surface, there is actually more going on, Maniscalco said.

"Community service builds self-esteem, that's a proven fact," said Irene Robles, co-founder of Wonder Girls. "It helps girls to come out of their shells because they have to build camaraderie with others. They have to be able to speak to one another, work as a team, and help each other."

In all, Goya Foods donated 10,000 pounds of food to be given to families in need throughout New York and New Jersey during November. In addition to North Rockland High School and Fieldstone Middle School, participating New York and New Jersey Wonder Girls schools include Ramapo High School, Kakiat STEAM Academy, Cliffside Park High School, Immaculate Conception High School, and students from Pascack Valley High School, Northern Highlands High School, and Woodcliff Middle School.

"I signed up for Wonder Girls to be surrounded by a community of strong-minded women who are passionate about their craft and to be in an environment that uplifts young girls while teaching them how to achieve their goals," said Gianna Joseph, a North Rockland High School student and President of Wonder Girls. "Helping others is important to me because I know the everlasting effect that support can have on someone's life and their overall well-being."