JOINING TOGETHER — Students in the Sycamore Stars Leadership Class at Indian Creek Middle School collected food Nov. 1 through Nov. 20 for area families in need during Thanksgiving. Students and their families created and decorated the collection boxes, promoted the drive, gathered the donations and helped to distribute the goods. Among those taking part were Trent Norris, Evelyn Keener, Zach McGee and Jozline Humphreys. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — The Thanksgiving season was a little brighter for several local families thanks to the efforts of the Sycamore Stars Leadership Class at Indian Creek Middle School. The children involved in the class completed a successful canned food drive, held Nov. 1-20.

The event was organized by members of the Sycamore Stars program, an after-school enrichment initiative that focuses on math, literacy, entrepreneurship and leadership development.

Following a meeting with Todd Herrman, vice principal of the middle school, students, under the guidance of teacher Roy Arbogast, planned the project from beginning to end. They decorated collection boxes, promoted the drive, gathered donations and helped to distribute the food to families — just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This project falls in line with our mission in the after-school program,” stated Michelle Clum, site coordinator for Sycamore Stars at ICMS. “We tutor students in reading and math, but we also prepare them for future careers, leadership, communication skills and innovation. This project gave our students hands-on experience in project planning and working with the community. We are grateful to the parents, teachers and the entire community for their support.”

Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of Sycamore, praised the effort as well. “I’m very proud of these students and their leaders for taking this initiative. Their hard work directly supports families in our community, and efforts like this show the positive impact young people can make when they step up to serve others.”

Donations collected during the drive were shared between the ICMS food pantry and the Sycamore Youth Center, ensuring that school families and children who are served through Sycamore’s programs, benefited from the effort.