GALION — Galion High School students spent the better part of the holiday season preparing and donating meals to help those less fortunate in the community. The students, members of the GHS/Pioneer Career and Technology Center (PCTC) Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), undertook two projects involving the Galion community and the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio.

Students prepared a full meal in the classroom for guests of the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus. The menu included creamy chicken enchiladas, fiesta rice, meatless taco salad and five-cup fruit salad, which the students delivered and served Dec. 7.

“Eleven FCCLA members gave up time after school over two days to prepare the meal for guests of the Ronald McDonald House,” said FCCLA advisor Elizabeth Pritchard. “We also donated more than 10 pounds of pop tabs, which the students collected over the course of a year.”

This isn’t the first time the Galion/PCTC FCCLA has helped the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus.

In November, the group partnered with Ronald McDonald House at the Galion McDonald’s as part of a state-wide FCCLA project to help raise money for the organization. Last year, GHS/PCTC FCCLA delivered more than 150 pounds of pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House and toured their facilities. In 2012, they also prepared and served the families and staff of the Ronald McDonald House lunch.

“Our students stood in front of the Galion McDonald’s seeking donations for the Ronald McDonald House,” said Pritchard. “Thanks to the generosity of the Galion community, our chapter was able to raise more money than any other chapter in Ohio!”

The second service project was undertaken by Mrs. Pritchard’s classes and GHS/PCTC FCCLA members.

“Students donated money to purchase items for a meal, or they donated food for the meal,” said Pritchard. “We collected enough food to supply six Galion families with all of the ingredients for their Christmas meal this year!”

Each family received a 9-10 lb. ham, with two of the six families receiving a ham and a turkey. The families also received 10 lbs. of potatoes, corn, ingredients for green bean casserole, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, apple juice, eggs, 3 pies & whipped topping.

“I ask my students to anonymously bring me the names and phone numbers of any local family that they feel could use help purchasing food for their holiday meal,” said Pritchard. “If I don’t receive enough family names, I then contact local churches and ask them if they have families in mind that would benefit from this help. I couldn’t be any prouder of the kindness and generosity of these students.”

Mrs. Pritchard has been asking her students to help the community during the holidays for more than 10 years, and each year she has a 95% donation and participation rate among her students. This year’s Christmas meals were distributed to local families Dec. 16.

“We have amazing students and staff members in the Galion City School District,” said Superintendent Jim Grubbs. “This is just one example of the many community service projects our students and staff undertake each year, and it makes me proud to say that I’m a Galion Tiger!”