AMHERST — A winter dance to provide an evening of fun for teenagers is an event Amherst Regional Middle School’s current eighth graders promised their peers last school year.
In organizing the recent Snow Ball, the dance became not only a way for students to come together for a social occasion, but to make an impact on the larger community through a financial contribution.
“We think it’s important to donate, and we think the Survival Center is an important place to donate to,” said eighth grader Keira Cunniffe, who co-chairs the middle school’s student government.
Using input from a schoolwide survey, students decided that half the proceeds from the dance would go to a local nonprofit, selecting the Amherst Survival Center as the beneficiary of the $500.
“While $500 may not seem like a lot, it’s 50% of the profits from the Snow Ball,” said Yatharth Rajakumar, an eighth grader and the other co-chair for the school’s student government.
Cunniffe and Rajakumar, along with representatives of the student government in seventh and eighth grade and teachers Mick O’Connor and Meka Magee, dropped by the center at 138 Sunderland Road on Feb. 1 to present the gift to Executive Director Lev BenEzra, and to learn more about the center’s history from Lisa Solowiej, the outreach coordinator.
“This will be put right to use,” BenEzra said as she was presented the check from the students. “This donation couldn’t have happened at a better time. We’re really seeing record numbers.”
BenEzra points to an all-time participation for the lunch one day last month, when 398 meals were served, or about four times as many as the 80 to 100 typical just a few years ago.
Almost 60% of the center’s funding comes from community donors, Solowiej said.
While admission was charged, Olive Paradis, an eighth grader who chairs community services for the student government, said there was also an option for students to bring nonperishable food, which has been donated directly to the center.
Rajakumar said adding the community donation component made the dance more popular, with about 75% of seventh and eighth graders coming out for it.
Solowiej explained that the COVID pandemic led to challenges and adjustments at the center to make sure people continued to be fed, including having the community meals program for a time turned into an exclusively to-go format.
“Some of the changes we’ve kept going because they’re so needed by the community,” Solowiej said.
One of those is the broad expansion of the grocery delivery program, with the refrigerated van making excursions to 13 area towns, including the eastern reaches of Hampshire County, such as families and individuals in Belchertown and Ware. The number of deliveries has risen from 50 homes to nearly 1,000 homes.
At the base of operations are the principles of fairness and equity and making food accessible.
“These inform everything we do here,” Solowiej said, adding that one of the few questions asked of participants is “how do you like your coffee?”
The food pantry offers 14 days of food for each family member, with registration required. The pantry has basics such as milk, eggs, cheese, bread and produce, as well as diapers and menstrual and hygiene products.
“We want everyone to leave here with food,” Solowiej said.
The students are in the middle of organizing a spring dance as well, and that will also benefit the community in some way.
“There are a lot of avenues for supporting local organizations,” Rajakumar said.