Lakeview Middle School raised more than $12,000 for Feed My Starving Children. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

Press Release

WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools’ administration would like to recognize the leadership, staff, and students of Lakeview Middle School for an outstanding effort to raise funds through a Phone-a-Thon event to support Feed My Starving Children.

With a goal to raise $2,000 for the 2022 Warsaw MobilePack, which begins on Oct. 11, Lakeview Middle School rallied to raise an outstanding $12,101.97.

Michele White, assistant principal and athletic director, gave credit to Bryon Weinstein for this innovative approach to the challenge.

“It began with sharing the goal on our website and social media,” said White. “Todd Braddock, Lakeview Middle School principal, then shared it in his parent newsletter. A QR code was on display at parent-teacher conferences and homeroom teachers shared an educational video with all students to help them learn about the mission of FMSC to pack 700,000 meals for children around the world. In addition, we heard that our cafeteria staff shared the link on their Facebook pages for their friends and families to donate. One young man asked us for a flyer to post at the local bowling alley. It really was a school-wide effort.”

With the motivation that 24 cents will cover the cost of one meal and $88 will feed one child for an entire year, Lakeview students were given a script in English and in Spanish with one hour during their homeroom period to call their contacts or use their iPads to email and ask for a donation.

“It was also an authentic opportunity for our students to develop communication skills and have a meaningful experience enriching the lives of others,” said White. “It was heartwarming to witness everyone coming together and using their iPads and cell phones for this positive purpose. It was an inclusive experience that we all did together.”

“478 students reached out to former teachers, to other schools, to coaches, and even local businesses,” said Emily Day, school counselor. “We were really impressed with the level of empathy we saw as students gave their pocket money, talked about how they withdrew cash from their bank accounts, and told us that they donated money they had planned to spend on themselves.”

“It really was incredible to watch students in every homeroom fully engaged in this challenge; their level of energy and passion was remarkable,” said Braddock. “There was no reward other than the personal satisfaction of giving to help others. They took the initiative and we saw our mission in action. All four pillars of the Warsaw Community Schools’ strategic plan came into play: empathy, experience, adaptability, and inclusivity. We’d like to thank all the families and local businesses who donated and give a special mention to BC Enterprise for their generosity. We are excited that all Lakeview Middle School students will now have an opportunity to pack meals at the Warsaw Community High School Tiger Recreation and Activity Center on Friday, Oct. 14. These are the life-changing experiences that our students will always remember.”

“Lakeview Middle School fully embraced the district theme of A Year of Kindness and created a monthly recognition program called Kindness in Action,” said White. “We’ve been intentional about building a culture of caring so we are thrilled to see the results. We are so proud and thankful for our Lakeview students and appreciate the community support we experienced.”