Good Neighbor cards brighten Midway Project

The Hamline to Hamline Collaboration had a lot to be thankful for in the month of November: two community-centered academic pairings brought Hamline University and Hamline Elementary students together to use their creative talent to support our Hamline Midway neighbors.
Hamline Elementary second graders worked with a Hamline University business class to make “Good Neighbor Cards” – cards that share positive messages with members of our community who visit the Midway Project – a neighborhood food pantry. The cards were full of kind messages and bright, cheerful pictures. Two weeks later, the second graders visited the Midway Project to greet neighbors and give away their handmade cards.
On the same day, fourth and fifth grade classes worked with a different Hamline University business class to help promote a food drive to benefit the Food Resource Center (FRC) on the Hamline University campus. The FRC is an important resource that is open to Hamline University students, staff, faculty, and the broader community. Together, the fourth and fifth and university students made several bright and highly decorated posters to promote the food drive on both campuses. After poster-making, the Hamline University students joined the classes in the cafeteria to continue their conversations over lunch. Hamline Elementary students also had a chance to visit the Food Resource Center to learn more about what they do for our community. By the time the food drive ended on Dec. 1, hundreds of pounds of food had been collected on both Hamline campuses to help fill the shelves at the Food Resource Center!
Many thanks to all the elementary and university students who participated in these activities and to both our Hamline communities for their generous support of the food drive!
Submitted by Jessica Kopp, Hamline Elementary Lab School Project Manager, School of Education and Leadership.