Small packages, big impact

COEUR d'ALENE — Every minute or so, a student ran to the center of the gym to enthusiastically bang a gong.

Each gong bang came with a celebration, meaning another 50 bags of apples and cinnamon oatmeal had been successfully packaged.

"Things were a little crazy, people threw cinnamon at me. But I got it out of my eyes and my hair, we're good," a smiling and hair-netted Lakes Middle School sixth grader Frankie Drake said.

Lakes is the first school in Idaho to partner with Generation Alive to combat hunger in the Inland Northwest. The nonprofit Generation Alive is a Spokane-based movement that empowers youth to compassionately engage in their community through service and action. It annually works with schools and churches, increasing awareness of community needs and providing youth with tangible ways to make lasting impacts. What began with one program and 200 participants in 2012 has grown to nearly 30 programs and 20,000 participants each year.

"We're not a food bank, we're not here to feed America. We're here to help students learn about different needs in our community," Generation Alive Program Director Darrin Duty said to students after a packaging session.

"We just want to connect you with how awesome it is to serve your community, and this is one way to do it," he said. "What you did today actually helps you too — it helps with stress, it helps with depression, it's awesome. We hope that you guys continue what you did here, helping others, when you leave this room."

All 600 Lakes students were invited to participate in the food-packing party to prepare 10,000 meals, at four meals per bag, that will be distributed by Second Harvest food bank in Spokane to feed people in eastern Washington and North Idaho.

A smaller group of students comprised the Action Team, which helped lead the hype in the days leading up to the production event. The program commenced with a school assembly about a month ago and the Action Team members kept in touch with the Generation Alive team as they planned the big day.

"It feels so good, I was so happy when I got on the team," Frankie said. "It was so much fun."

Students spent four weeks raising $2,500 to cover supplies and food for the event.

"It feels good, because then everyone can have food," said seventh grader Bradin Wilcox.

Assistant Principal Aaron Drake connected Lakes with Generation Alive and helped coordinate the program.

"It's been one awesome way for kids to learn about compassion," Drake said. "Generation Alive's whole mission is activating youth to live and lead with compassion. They've learned about the definition of it; sympathy and action equals compassion, so it was just a tangible way for them to make a difference. We hope it made some change."

Generation Alive CEO J.J. Vancil said he and the Generation Alive team were excited to make their Idaho debut at Lakes.

"It's so much more than just packing food," he said. "It's really fun to see it come to fruition."

Action Team member Myla Bryan, a sixth grader, said she loves the feeling of helping others.

"It's just so special," she said. "I feel like a lot of people have a lot of empathy for it but they never get a chance to do anything with it, and this is a great way to do it."

Myla said through this process, she has learned how many people in the community struggle with food insecurity. She said Lakes is setting a great example for other Idaho schools that want to get involved with Generation Alive.

"What hit really hard was COVID, because people were already struggling," she said. "How much that affected people was terrible, and still now, people still struggle to find jobs, good ones that can support their family. Some still pay minimum wage, which cannot support paying rent. Food prices rising right now is not helping either."