ORLANDO, Fla. — Members of Lighthouse Central Florida’s teen transition program are donating hundreds of items to a local food pantry after hosting their own food drive.
Lighthouse staff work with people — from kids to seniors — who have vision loss. Leaders say the organization works with 600 individuals and their families each year.
What You Need To Know
Teens with Lighthouse Central Florida hosted their own holiday food drive
More than 300 items will be donated to United Against Poverty Orlando
Lighthouse staff work with kids, adults, and seniors experiencing vision loss
Leaders say the food drive helped teens with skills, independence, and maturity
This year, teens in the program organized the food drive on their own. They created the flyer, social media posts, collected donations and organized the items at their Orlando location.
Kerri Marczuk, vice president of program services, says she’s seen a lot of maturity in the group through the food drive.
“They drafted a letter that went out to our entire staff. They created the flyer,” explained Marczuk. “They are really taking ownership of it, and it’s nice to see the pride they have in what they’re doing.”
While they’re giving back to the community, this food drive is a learning experience for the teens by preparing them for the future and working on skills such as technology and team building.
“It simulates what you need to do for later on in life. It’s those soft skills for job readiness,” said Marczuk.
The group collected more than 300 items, such as canned and boxed food, plus personal hygiene items. It will be donated to United Against Poverty Orlando, a food bank and grocery store.