Middle School students work to ‘Be the Change’

Be the Change team members who helped organize the food drive and other Be the Change Week activities (left to right) Sara Caris, Sophia Klingbeil, Caroline Battin, Liz Stetler, and Paige Ireland, all in 8th grade. They appear with food collected at the dance and throughout the week in school, in front of the “Acts of Change wall at Otsego Jr. High School. Additional photos of the dance can be found here.

On-site prevention specialist Michelle Von Lehmden collects canned food from students entering the Be the Change dance at Otsego Middle School Friday.

In October, Otsego School District eighth graders participated in Challenge Day.

Challenge Day encourages students to pay attention to what they do and say to people and helps them to recognize that everyone has to take care of each other…everyone has to Be the Change that they want to see in the world.

Following Challenge Day, the Otsego School District celebrated Red Ribbon week Oct. 25-29, and coupled it with “Be the Change Week.” Be the Change Week is a way to continue the spirit of Challenge Day, by asking everyone in the school to do something to make a difference in their community, in their school, or in someone’s life.

To celebrate their work, they held a dance that continued the Be the Change movement. Students had the option to pay a $2 entry fee, or pay $1 and bring in a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Otsego Food Pantry.

The Otsego Food Pantry is housed at the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids, but “we are supported by all of the churches in the Otsego School District, along with numerous businesses and organizations,” said Lisa Hatfield, co-coordinator for the Otsego Food Pantry.

The Otsego Food Pantry serves anyone who lives in the Otsego School District and “surrounding edges,” who has a “stated need” for assistance.

For assistance, or to make a donation, call the Otsego Food Pantry at 419-832-4214.