TURNERS FALLS — With the holiday season on the horizon, two Turners Falls High School staff members are revamping a resonant, yet secretive, tradition of giving.
For about five years, physical education teacher and Athletic Director Adam Graves and School Resource Officer Dan Miner have teamed up with the school’s Athletic Leadership Council and Helping Hands Committee to discreetly deliver goods to disadvantaged students and their families. While it’s a year-round effort, Graves and Miner help organize fundraisers and food drives during school sporting events in preparation for a large-scale season of giving. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they hope to provide around 50 meals for those in need.
Graves recalls a moment years ago where a student athlete arrived at the gym, the child’s eyes transfixed on Graves’ bowl of soup. When Graves offered to give the student his soup and they accepted, he began to consider the magnitude of food insecurity in the community. He also began taking notice of students who would come to school in the same clothing each day without a choice.
“You see the same kid coming in with the same sweatshirt every day not because they want to, but because they have to,” Graves said.
Graves and Miner eventually began seeking out students who might be in need, making sure to keep their conversations respectful and confidential between themselves, the student and assisting staff member Amber Richardson. They’d then have necessary goods delivered either to the student’s residence or directly to the student at school with nobody watching.
“We make arrangements so that those who need it get it,” Graves said.
“It’s our job to know and it’s our job to keep it a secret and deal with it respectfully,” Miner said.
When the Athletic Leadership Council, an organization of student athletes in good academic standing, got involved, the program was brought to a peer-to-peer level.
“Knowing that I’m helping our school community that I’m seeing every day is a really good feeling,” Student Council Vice President and Athletic Leadership Council member Paige Sulba said.
Students felt motivated to help not only because of their proximity to students in need, but their own experiences.
“I know what it’s like to be hungry after practice, but I’m fortunate enough to go home to a cooked meal that my mother made me,” Athletic Leadership Council member Owen LaValley said.
Come winter, student athletes take to the court to make baskets in more ways than one. During past holiday seasons, the volunteers have hosted fundraisers and food drives at basketball games to help put together laundry baskets full of goods for disadvantaged families. This year, they aim to deliver 20 meals around Thanksgiving, and 25 to 30 meals around Christmas.
Miner said reception has been overwhelmingly positive and emotional over the years.
“The reception has been great. Us being discreet has been received as wonderful,” Miner said. “Some people invite us in and hug us. Some people have started to cry.”
Graves and Miner said they plan to host more fundraisers at sporting events and plan to announce a schedule.
In the meantime, those in need or those who know others in need can reach out to adam.graves@gmrsd.org, dan.miner@gmrsd.org, or leave a message in either staff member’s mailbox at the school to inquire about receiving goods. Those interested in donating can mail checks made out to “Helping Hands” to Turners Falls High School, 222 Turnpike Road, Montague, MA 01351.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or
jmendoza@recorder.com.