Great Lakes continues caring for adopted school

By Brandi Makuski

Employees from Great Lakes dropped in at their adopted school on Feb. 15, this time to deliver snacks for students.

Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates, with an office in Downtown Stevens Point, visits Jefferson Elementary School multiple times throughout each year, delivering everything from school supplies, cash donations and health snacks for the students there.

All of the items delivered to the school come from the Great Lakes Gives employee giving program, funded by employee donations.

“Today we’ve got kindergartners and first-graders helping us unload,” said Principal Molly Demrow. The move was unusual because typically, Great Lakes employees themselves unload goodies, delivering them for an all-school presentation in the Jefferson gymnasium.

“The kids are excited to get more involved,” she added.

More than 6,200 snacks on Thursday were delivered to the school, which has the highest number of students in the public school district who qualify who free or reduced lunch. Demrow said the snacks will be distributed among all classrooms at the school as needed. 

“Access to snacks can turn their day around,” she said.

Amy Kerwin, vice present of community investments at Great Lakes, said the company adopted the school because employees there wanted to “make an impact on student success” for a school in its neighborhood. 

“Together we’re helping students get a strong start on the path to post-secondary education,” Kerwin added.