Casady Community Service-Learning Blog: Casady K-12th Faculty and staff served @ Food Bank, August 19, 2014

Casady School traditionally hosts its 140 faculty and staff for a week long orientation prior to the students returning to campus. Orientation week opens with a Chapel service on Monday followed by a full faculty and staff gathering, lunch throughout the week, division meetings and an in-service day. This year Casady’s faculty and staff spent a morning at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma as the in-service activity of 2014-2015. Coach Jim Bonfiglio, master mind of this professional development opportunity, greeted Casady faculty at Calvert with a delicious breakfast carefully prepared by Chef Kevin and his caring SAGE kitchen staff.

Wearing jeans, Casady Cares T-shirts-designed by Coach Bonfiglio, slogan provided by LD art teacher Megan Thompson, and closed-toe shoes, the Casady faculty and staff shared continental breakfast and loaded busses, kindly conducted by members of the Athletic Department and headed to their service experience @ the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Casady YAC (Youth Acting in the Community) members of the PEACE WEEK Team, sophomores Johnny L. and Turner W. helped by UD faculty Stephanie Crossno and Carmen Clay, and MD Lynn Robertson welcomed teachers with pinwheels center pieces made at Single Parent Network Family Fun Day, where Johnny and Turner manpower a pinwheel booth. The Casady Peace Team is receiving $1 per
Pinwheel for Peace made to advocate Peace One Day and to celebrate the 11 Days of Global Unity playing the compassion games with intentional acts of kindness, compassion and service. The pinwheels have the potential of raising up to $15,000 to begin the construction of an additional home for foster children @ Pepper's Ranch where another member of the Peace Team, Ananya B. heads the pinwheels fundraiserfor the Ranch Youth Board.

Johnny made signs requesting volunteers to leave their expectations before the work day began and high points of the experience during 15 minute break at the 16 volunteer tables. Coach Jim Bonfiglio had divided the Casady faculty in 4 groups of 33 people each. Each group experienced a different packing aspect of the Food Bank distribution needs. Turner also provided music during the work time, favorite volunteer songs while packing food.

Expectations

Johnny and Turner also took the pictures provided in this "memory Smilebox."

Make your own slideshow

After a welcome speech by Casady parent and Food Bank's Development Director, Mrs. Laura Lang, the Casady Cyclone volunteers viewed this video

During the 15 minute break, some volunteers took the Food Bank Tour before returning back to work. At the end of the shift, volunteers gathered to heard the results of their collaborative effort and viewed another video of the work the Food Bank does to end hunger and feed hope.

By noon, the Cyclone volunteers had packed 19,341 pounds of food, which is the equivalent of 16,117.5 meals in 62 cases of rice, 115 cases of mixed vegetables, 634 cases of fresh bread, 145 cases of crackers, 104 cases of cereal, 71 cases of cookies, and 37 cases of packaged meals.

"Part of our mission calls for our students to realize their potential and to use it to make a difference in their community," said Casady's Interim Head of School Nathan Sheldon. "We, as the School's faculty and staff, believe in modeling what it means to make a difference in our community."
Mr. Moore, UD orchestra teacher stated, "best professional development in 26 years of teaching."