Cherry Brook Students Collect More Than 2,000 Items For Gifts of Love

As part of a 100th Day Drive, students at collected 2,615 items for the food pantry at Gifts of Love. 

Each classroom collected a different item and each day students brought in items and third-grade enrichment students helped collect them, bring them to a holding area and keep track of total donations. 

The organization came and picked up the donations on Thursday — the 100th day of school. 

Gifts of Love currently helps 500 families a month, some 25 percent of them from the Farmington Valley, said Chris Napierski, outreach coordinator for the organization. 

"As wonderful as this is — it helps us stock our pantry — it's not going to last that long," she said. "It's even more important to spread awareness." 

This is the second year the school has taken part in the drive. Gifts of Love always accepts donations and Napierski said it is a great idea to contract the organization first to see what items it needs most. Find out more at its Web site.