By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
In 1973, a group of like-minded individuals in the Plainwell area came together to create the Plainwell Volunteer Christmas Project.
The goal of the project? To provide food items and gifts to families in need residing in the Plainwell Community Schools district.
Fifty years later, the PVCP is still going strong. And Plainwell Community Schools continues to do its part.
All school buildings in the district—Plainwell High School, Plainwell Middle School, Starr Elementary, Gilkey Elementary and Cooper Elementary—began accepting donations on Monday, Dec. 4. Items being collected by the schools include food, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies and toys for children ages 17 and under.
Donations will continue to be accepted through Friday, Dec. 15.
In a post on the district’s Facebook page, PCS urged parents and guardians to get involved if they are able.
“Throughout the district, we are collecting donations for the food drive and many buildings have special opportunities for their students to participate in donating,” the post said. “Please check for communications from your student’s building for more information.
“Thank you in advance for your support of the Plainwell Volunteer Christmas Project!”
Irene Voss serves as director of PVCP. She praised the role PCS plays in making sure the project is a success each year.
“In addition to all the schools doing a food drive for the program, the district also helps us with making sure we reach families in the district that might want some assistance with Christmas,” Voss said. “The school district continues to be an amazing partner for us.”
Specific items requested by PCS for donation include dry cereals, rice, pasta, canned vegetables, peanut butter, jams, crackers, beans, granola bars, canned fruits, toilet paper, detergent and dish soap.
In addition to the school buildings throughout the district, donation boxes for the PVCP are also available at several businesses and churches throughout the area. Those locations include:
- A Capello Salon
- Ace Hardware
- Automotive Specialty Accessories
- BC Pizza
- Campbell’s Pharmacy
- Cornell & Associates
- Doster Store
- Dragonfly Quilting and Art
- First Presbyterian Church
- Fly Inn Restaurant
- Friendship Wesleyan Church
- H & H Auto Body
- Harding’s Market
- Hart’s Jewelry
- Hoard Chiropractic Clinic
- Hope Lutheran Church
- Passiflora
- Plainwell United Methodist Church
- Pro Automotive
- Ransom District Library
- Repz Gym
- State Farm Insurance
- Taqueria San Francisco Restaurant
Assembly day is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. This is when items will be sorted out for individual families in advance of delivery.
“The community is welcome to come help us with sorting and assembling all the products we collect through schools and community,” Voss said.
For more information, call (269) 391-3570 or email plainwellchristmas@yahoo.com. You can also visit the PVCP Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PVCP156.