Convoy of Hope, an international relief agency, on April 26 picked up more than 21,000 meals that had been assembled by members of The Potomac School community the previous weekend. The relief agency will distribute the rice-and-bean meals to displaced Ukrainian families throughout border countries.
This service initiative was organized by Potomac School’s Parent Association Service Learning Committee and Upper School students in the school’s Global Perspectives and Citizenship (GPAC) program, who have been studying food insecurity around the world.
With events in Ukraine top of mind, the parents and students took action to lead the meal-packing event in partnership with The Outreach Program, a nonprofit organization.
“Our volunteers spoke about feeling a sense of community and purpose in being able to play a small part in addressing the critical needs faced by the Ukrainian people,” said Ace Everett, Potomac’s director of K-12 service learning. “It was also wonderful for everyone to see the sophomores and juniors from the GPAC program serving as such terrific role models for our community.”
Potomac’s two-year Global Perspectives and Citizenship concentration is a selective program that enables motivated Upper School students to take a deep dive into global issues, ultimately helping them understand the dynamic relationships between communities, cultures and civilizations worldwide, school officials said.
“This event is particularly meaningful for those of us in GPAC because we have examined case studies about food insecurity and researched transnational organizations such as NATO and the U.N., often seeing things from a statistical perspective,” said Potomac School junior Ali O’Brien.
“But this event gives us an opportunity to think about the people behind the numbers, the people this food will help.”