Montessori School children donating food to Waypoint as part of 2011 Campaign Give Back

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2010 annual report to Congress, each night there are approximately770,000 people in the United States who are homeless. The U.S. Department of Education reports that there are an additional 700,000 children without a place to call home and who go to bed hungry nightly.

Each year Waypoint serves approximately 300 homeless women and children with overnight shelter and provides access to daytime resources to 2,000 women and children living in poverty.

Cedar Valley Montessori School (CVMS), a non-profit, non-denominational organization educating 2-6 year old children, organized a food drive for CVMS families to benefit Waypoint during the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This is part of the 2011 Campaign Give Back program designed to help promote to the children community awareness and helping those in need.

The CVMS children will be collecting non-perishable food items from families from November 7 through 15 then the Kindergarteners will walk the food down to Waypoint on November 16.

“Community is a large part of the Montessori philosophy both inside the classrooms and outside. This event gives us the opportunity to not only show the children by example but to get them active in giving back to the community that has shown us so much support over the last 40 years.” said Stacy Cataldo, Administrator at CVMS.

The walk will take place starting at Cedar Valley Montessori School on November 16 at 1:15 p.m. The address is 145 Transit Way SE, Cedar Rapids. It is located downtown in the Ground Transportation Center. The children will walk up 4

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Ave to Waypoint.