New Jersey students team up with Collier nonprofit to help end hunger

A group of eighth-graders traveled hundreds of miles to help end hunger in Southwest Florida.

The students traveled from New Jersey to Naples to join Grace Place For Children and Families, an educational nonprofit organization, help feed the hungry — especially after Hurricane Irma.

“After Hurricane Irma, we really felt we needed to come down and help this area,” said William Dooley, an eighth-grader from New Jersey.

The Grace Place For Children and Families serves nearly 300 families every Friday.

“It’s an eye-opening experience. Not as many people are as fortunate as us, so it’s heartwarming to come down here and know you’re helping someone,” Dooley said.

Although the students from the Ho-Ho-Kus School District in New Jersey said the trip is part of a civics project, they’re coming back with much more than a letter grade.

“Even though we’re living good in New Jersey, we should be giving back to communities because they don’t have as much as us, and we have more than enough to spare,” said Ian Joyce, eighth-grader from New Jersey.

Summer time is busy for the organization, as many workers are gone after season. For more information on becoming a volunteer, click here.