MLMS students give annual OPD5 Food Drive a solid sendoff

A group of MLMS students help OPD5 staffers load up food donations to be taken to the MVFRC food pantry in Overton

Students at Mack Lyon Middle School have once again demonstrated their generosity and community spirit, donating nearly 1,000 food items during the school’s annual food drive sponsored by Overton Power District No. 5 (OPD5).

OPD5 employees visited the school on Wednesday, Sept. 23 to collect the donations, which were delivered to the Moapa Valley Family Resource Center (MVFRC) food pantry in Overton. The food drive took place Sept. 14–18 and marked the 15th consecutive year that OPD5 has partnered in the event at Mack Lyon.

Administered by the school’s student council, the drive engages all three grade levels in a friendly competition to see which class can donate the most food. The eighth-grade class emerged as this year’s winner, contributing more than 350 items. As part of the sponsorship, OPD5 will fund a special party for the winning class.

“The Mack Lyon food drive is always well organized and the students are always enthusiastic in their response,” said OPD5 Public Outreach Coordinator Kristi Eames. “We are grateful for their diligence and efficiency and we are always happy to partner with them.”

The donated food arrived at an important time for the Moapa Valley Family Resource Center, which provides assistance to local families and operates a community food pantry.

MVFRC Director Penny Vallone said the pantry’s inventory is typically at a low point during this time of year, making the students’ contributions especially valuable as the organization prepares for the holiday season.

OPD5 staffers Steven Brown (left) and Kristi Eames (right) deliver food drive donations to Penny Vallone (center) at the MVFRC food pantry.

“This comes to us just in the nick of time,” Vallone said. “This type of support is greatly needed in helping us serve the community. We appreciate OPD5 for sponsoring these drives and the local school kids for their participation.”

Mack Lyon is traditionally the first local school to participate in OPD5’s community-wide food drive campaign. In the coming weeks, other schools in both Moapa Valley and Mesquite will partner with the district to conduct similar food drives.

Through its annual school food drive program, OPD5 works to encourage community involvement while helping replenish local food pantry supplies, Eames said.

“The donations collected at Mack Lyon and the other schools this season, will help provide food assistance to area residents as the holiday season approaches,” she added. “These efforts demonstrate how students and community partners can make a meaningful difference through a shared commitment to helping others.”