Grey Nun Academy Hosts Thanksgiving Hunger Banquet; Donates Food to The Church of Sacred Heart in Trenton to Feed The Hungry For The Holiday

    YARDLEY, PA, November 23, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Grey Nun Academy (GNA), the Catholic, independent elementary school in Bucks County, PA, today hosts its annual Hunger Banquet together with its students in a show of compassion for and recognition of the millions of people in our world who are impoverished and starving.

GNA students are also helping to feed the poor and the hungry this Thanksgiving by way of the school's annual food drive to support The Church of the Sacred Heart in Trenton, New Jersey. This week, Grey Nun Academy delivered more than five carloads of food and supplies to Trenton's Sacred Heart Church, gave monetary donations, and helped with the distribution of the food.

"In addition to our curricular and co-curricular activities that prepare students to succeed in life, we also inspire children to effect meaningful and positive change on a local, national, and global level," said Deborah Kost, Head of School, Grey Nun Academy. "Parents have always been an active, integral part of their child's education at Grey Nun Academy, and together, we are leading children to mature as responsible members of their family, their community, their faith, and their world."

Grey Nun Academy Hunger Banquet Brings Poverty Issues to Life
Nearly every year since 1985, Grey Nun Academy's 6th-8th graders, along with faculty and staff, participate in the Hunger Banquet. Students are randomly divided into three socio-economic classes and are given a meal and lunch spot determined by their class assignment. Each group receives identification cards stating where they are from, their occupation, and whether they are affluent, middle class or low-income.

Role-playing is an important part of the exercise, as people will lose jobs and have to change classes as well as be promoted and "rise" in class status. Upper (affluent) Class eats from fine china and is served a full Thanksgiving dinner; Middle Class eats at cafeteria tables and has pizza; Lower has rice and broth and sits on the floor. Participants continue the lesson by sharing their thoughts and ideas, and reflecting on their experiences back in the classroom.

"This activity helps children learn to feel gratitude for what they have, empathy for what other people are experiencing around the world, and an understanding for how quickly someone's life can change. It's a truly educational experience and an exercise in compassion for our students," added Kost.

Additional student-led community service efforts this Academic year were:

- The Joy of Sox: During September and October, the Grey Nun Academy community joined the Sisters of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart to participate in The Joy of Sox project to provide joy to the homeless with new socks. Together with the Sisters, the GNA community collected nearly 7,000 new socks for the homeless. Socks were distributed to the needy in Bucks County and throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.
- October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Led by Student Council, students organized a pay-to-participate pink and denim dress-down day; proceeds yielded nearly $600 and were donated directly to St. Mary's Cancer Research Center.
- National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month: October was also Bully Prevention Month, during which GNA students were united in purpose: "One School, One Goal, No Drugs, Alcohol or Bullying." Students benefited from interactive role-playing, a motivating guest speaker, open classroom discussion, and other activities to underscore the school community's commitment to stand up against bullying. The school's 8th grade executive Student Council board also attended lunch with the primary division to talk with students about making a pledge to stand up to bullying.

About Grey Nun Academy
Founded in 1963 by the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, Grey Nun Academy is the Catholic, independent, elementary school in Bucks County, PA for children in grades PreK3 through Eighth grade. The Academy's mission is to offer an academically rich curriculum that meets the unique needs of individual students, respecting the rights, interests, and dignity of each child. GNA welcomes children of all faiths and cultures. The school's educational process leads children to embrace and promote peace and social justice in our world. To learn more, visit www.gnaedu.org.

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