Each class contributes their part in Whitemarsh Elementary School Thanksgiving tradition

For more than two decades, Whitemarsh Elementary School has been creating a sense of empathy and community through its annual WES Serves Project. This initiative, led by the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), brings together students, families, and staff to address food insecurity.

The heart of the project lies in its mission: making nonperishable Thanksgiving food baskets for neighbors in need. Each year, the effort begins in classrooms, where the teachers share books about food insecurity to explain the challenges faced by many families. With this context, each class takes on a specific role in contributing to the baskets.

For example, Mrs. Bell’s kindergarteners brought in cans of corn, while Mrs. Turner’s first-grade students collected instant mashed potatoes. Beyond the traditional Thanksgiving dinner staples, some classes gather an ingredient for other meals—like pancake mix and tuna—or personal care essentials such as shampoo and body wash.

The PTO then organizes the items into baskets. Once the needs within the school are met, they work with Whitemarsh Township Police Department’s K9 Unit to donate the extra baskets, food, and personal care items to the Colonial Neighborhood Council in Conshohocken.