Shawnee Elementary Teachers Cook for Safe Harbor

Shawnee Sharks Care.

And that caring showed when fourth grade teachers from Shawnee Elementary School in Forks Township recently visited Safe Harbor of Easton where they donated food and cooked a meal.

"The overwhelming kindness of the students warmed the hearts and bellies of the residents of Safe Harbor," said Elizabeth Bilinski, a Shawnee fourth-grade teacher.

Teachers cooked a meal there on March 1 for people at Safe Harbor, a transitional home for single men and women.

Bilinski said the meal would not have been possible without the help of students, who have been learning in class the importance of giving back to the community and helping others.

"The goal of this initiative was to tell Easton that Shawnee Sharks care!" Bilinski said.

She said that students and their families donated food, spare change and Giant Food Store gift cards throughout the month of February.

That amounted to 45 jars of pasta sauce, 34 boxes of pasta, 21 lbs. of coffee, 30 lbs. of sugar, $165 in Giant gift cards and $142 in change.

At Safe Harbor of Easton, residents have the opportunity to learn new problem solving skills, stabilize their income, receive social rehabilitation services, assess their job and employability skills, look for a job or a job training, have a medical check-up, and find suitable permanent housing.

Tyler Rodgers, executive director of Safe Harbor, and residents from the facility visited fourth graders in February to talk about their success stories and share what the donations of the students meant to them. Their stories inspired these passionate fourth graders to donate, Bilinski said.