Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church Presby Preschool students pose for a photo after dropping off toiletries and cleaning items for First United Methodist Church of Warsaw’s Community Closet on Wednesday, Dec. 14. Presby Preschool Director Dr. Jeff Peck said it’s the second year students and their parents have collected the items to donate. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — It’s never too young to start giving, and Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church Presby Preschool students proved that Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Kids delivered hygiene and cleaning items they and parents had collected to First United Methodist Church of Warsaw’s Community Closet, taking the short walk across Market Street to do so. Another donation is to occur Thursday, Dec. 15, meaning all 181 Presby students ages 3-5, plus more than 20 staff members, will have participated.

Presby Preschool Director Dr. Jeff Peck said it’s the second year that students have donated to the Community Closet.

“While we have held a food drive or collected personal hygiene items for other organizations in previous years, donating to the Community Closet gives our children the opportunity to deliver their donations in person,” noted Peck. “They get to experience the whole process of bringing items to school and then actually making a donation first-hand.”

FUMC of Warsaw Pastor Brian Smith echoed Peck’s point about the kids having a personal experience with donating by taking the items over.

“They can … see where people come through and pick items up,” he said.

Donated items include bar and dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, deodorant, cleaning supplies, hand lotion and toothpaste.

“This project is a beautiful way for the children to learn the joy of being grateful and generous,” said Peck. “In November, we emphasized what it means to be grateful, and now in December, we are learning to praise God for His gift to us of Jesus.”

“When we give our gifts to the Community Closet, we are helping other people and we are giving those gifts to Jesus,” he continued.

Peck noted one student had told his older brother that morning “that he’s going to get to walk across the street today and take things to people who need them, so that’s what we want to see happen.”

People can get items from the Community Closet when they get free meals at the Community Kitchen at the Methodist church. Though it’s held at FUMC of Warsaw, other area churches help with the meals served 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays.

The community is welcome to donate toiletries and cleaning items to the closet by dropping them off at the Methodist church from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

After kids dropped off their items at FUMC of Warsaw, they each received a candy cane.