Food for Thought--a Class Act

Fifth-graders in North Hollywood got a lesson in giving, a break from their math books and a lot of satisfaction in November, when they organized an unusual food drive for people with AIDS.

“AIDS is a disease that people get, and we have to help them so they won’t suffer a lot,” said 10-year-old Jose Garcia as he sorted cans of soup, vegetables and fruit cocktail in his classroom.

Jose and his classmates at Camellia Avenue Elementary School collected hundreds of cleaning products and non-perishable food items from students, family members and local politicians. They gave the items to AIDS Project Los Angeles, which distributes groceries and personal-care products free of charge to people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS-related complex who earn less than $700 a month.

“An organized effort by a group of grade-school students is really unusual,” said Jack Cotter, manager of the food distribution program. “It’s really raising their consciousness.”

Cotter said more than 900 people are eligible for the AIDS Project L.A. program.

Fifth-grade teacher Julie Baron said she wanted to show her class that even at their age, they can contribute to the community. “The biggest thing is knowing that they can make a difference--whether it be with the homeless, the poor or people with AIDS,” she said.

Baron said Los Angeles Unified School District policy prohibits teachers from discussing the sexual aspects of AIDS, so she focused instead on drug education and dispelling myths.

“I explained how the immune system works, and we talked about how you don’t get AIDS from hugging and drinking water,” she said.

Baron, saying AIDS had killed some her friends, told the class she would have liked to talk about its sexual aspects. “I think we’re doing a real disservice to kids by not talking about it,” she said. “It really infuriates me.”

To demonstrate the practical applications of addition, subtraction and multiplication, Baron devised a “Price Is Right” of sorts. She put price tags on six of the donated food items and told the students they had $25 to spend. The students chose items they wanted and then figured out how much of each they could buy without going over their spending limit.

The students seemed to appreciate the diversion from their math textbook. “My math book is harder and more boring,” Jose said.

“We got to be like a grown-up and go buy food,” said Janice Ambriz, 10. The students worked on their communication skills by writing letters to local businesses and politicians, asking for donations. And Baron had a friend teach the class to write news releases.

“I wanted people in the community who saw what the class was doing to realize that not all kids are on drugs,” Baron said.

The class didn’t get any donations from the businesses, but Rep. Henry Waxman sent cans of soup, City Councilman Ernani Bernardi sent $50, and the North Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department sent huge tubs of peanut butter and jelly.

The class also learned about advertising by making posters to hang in other classrooms at the school.

Finally, Baron used the project to help her Spanish-speaking students learn some practical English words, including the names of fruits and vegetables.

Janice said her favorite part of the project was going to other classrooms and talking about helping others. “That was really exciting,” she said. “I feel like telling the whole world to help.”