Hempfield School District students are grateful for the support they receive from the community.

They are happy to return the favor.

The 15th annual Hempfield Food Drive, presented by JK Mechanical, concluded Feb. 28. Students in all 10 buildings combined to collect more than 4,900 pounds of nonperishable food items, which were donated to the Hempfield Area Food Pantry. The high school Student Council also donated 2,192 pounds in November.

The food collected in February included elbow macaroni, egg noodles, macaroni and cheese, jelly, cereal, and canned items such as pineapple, peaches, fruit cocktail, spinach, mixed vegetables, corn, tomatoes, kidney beans, carrots, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti sauce, and beef and chicken broth.

The Student Council led the February food drive at Landisville Middle School. "We tried to tell everybody on the announcements about it throughout the week, and I think prizes helped a lot," seventh-grader Lenae Ross said. "A lot of people are competitive, and that helped bring in more food."

Fellow Student Council member Reshma Lalani, an eighth-grader, said, "It's important to give back to the community because our school does a lot for us. The students can make a really big impact through the food drive."

Eighth-grader Leah Guatta said Landisville Middle School's Student Council meets regularly to discuss issues in the school and plan dances and spirit week activities. "We talk about making our school community a better place," said Leah.

JK Mechanical sponsors the drive and provided vans to transport the food from the schools to the food pantry.

"We are a family-owned and -operated group," said Marissa Demeo, who is JK Mechanical's sales and marketing coordinator. "We love to give back to the community because our owner (Christopher Leaman) and his entire family are all from this area. He has always put an importance on giving back to the community. His kids grew up in the area, and he wants to help the students and everyone here."

Market Street Sports Group also participates in the drive. "Our group handles all the corporate partnerships for Hempfield," business representative Jason Jasberger said. "We look for companies that want to give back. It's not just about signage; it's making it a better experience for the kids. JK Mechanical has from the very beginning stepped in and been active with the school district. They have a real relationship with the schools. Those are the kinds of businesses we like to have."