The Faculty and Student collaboration team at Lakeland High School recently raised money for the Union Mission Ministries homeless shelter in Norfolk through the school’s “Loose Change” drive.

“We decided to collect the loose change to feed the homeless a Thanksgiving meal,” Lakeland High School faculty member Anita Fisher, who headed up the drive, wrote in an email.

Each of the teachers and staff members were given a red cup to collect donations from students. These cups were displayed in their respective rooms so that students could add their loose change during the campaign, Nov. 12-25, according to Fisher.

In response to the question “Why do you think this donation was important,” student Nick Yeager said, “Because we had the opportunity to feed people who can’t afford food.”

“I think it is good for us to learn to give back to the community,” Nevaeh, another student, said.

Students and staff collected $339.82 and were able to feed 163 people, with each meal costing $2.08 per person, Fisher wrote. This money was given to the Union Mission in Norfolk.

“The donations were important to the students because it gave them a sense of helping someone else,” Fisher wrote. “I saw students putting in not only loose change but dollars as much as $20 from one of my students.

“Another student who put in a $5 was asked by a fellow student, ‘Why are you putting that in?’ He replied, ‘I have it so I am going to give it.’”