Jackson-Milton first graders exceed snack goal for Rescue Mission

Corrine Tomaino's first-grade class at Jackson-Milton Elementary collected 2,565 individually wrapped snacks during March's Kindness Month and donated them to the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.

Students in Corrine Tomaino's first-grade class at Jackson-Milton Elementary completed a monthlong snack collection and loaded donations onto a Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley van in the school parking lot. The drive has run every March since it began in 2018 as part of the school's Kindness Month. The class collected individually wrapped snacks such as crackers, granola bars, chips and fruit snacks. Crystal Eckman, a Rescue Mission ambassador, visited the classroom and spoke with students about how their donations help children staying at the mission. Key details: - The drive ran from March 9 and ended Monday. - The class set a goal of 2,000 snacks and collected 2,565. - Twenty students in Tomaino's class took part in the collection. - This is the ninth year the class has held the collection, which began in 2018. - Donations were loaded onto the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley van in the school parking lot. Summary: The donated snacks are reported to expand choices for children staying at the mission and support its short-term shelter work. The Rescue Mission has said its goal is to help people and families move toward permanent housing. Undetermined at this time.