Rolling in dough: Program helps feed students
<p>Buried in Bread are Riverside students Ashley Ross and Doug Stapley also dressed up for Halloween.</p>
Riverside High School is being buried in bread. The generosity of Boundary County churches knows no bounds.
“Be careful what you wish for, you may get buried.” Superintendent Dick Conley said.
Shailey Bertling and Jonny Fulton spoke at a luncheon of nearly all of Bonners Ferry’s church congregations. Those 75 ladies listened. They heard the appeal for the snack attack.
During this recession, kids have been coming to school hungry. Bertling and Fulton requested the community pitch in to fill this need. The churches have responded. The district now has peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, cheese snacks and sweets. This supplements the school’s breakfasts and lunches.
Jasmine Burn and Chirisa Coleman organized the Clothes Closet.
The Clothes Closet has been amply supplied with new socks, shoes, coats, T-shirts and sweaters. Riverside takes donations of decent clothing, which is carefully monitored to fill student’s needs.
Gifts of toiletries and toothpaste have arrived.
A new community group called Community Cares About Riverside Education and Students has been organized to assist any further Riverside needs, such as glasses and the PSAT test expense.
Some of the community has donated clothes to the Man’s Store and Sequels to leave a credit for Riverside’s students to buy clothes. Each of these stores take in gently used clothing and re-sell it.
Riverside parents have adopted us in their offers of help.
The following are just a few of them: Melinda Brinkman is working in the library; Michelle Bertling and Margaret Huggins are helping with food and clothing. In addition the students themselves provide both extra snacks and clothes to their peers.
As usual, Riverside offers a full academic curriculum. It is a fully accredited high school recently passing the Northwest Accreditation Commission review.
Currently Riverside has 33 young adults enrolled. Each semester new students apply as present students graduate.
Riverside High School rises to meet their student’s needs. Some say, “Riverside feels like a big family.”