Once again Melissa Ruschak and her Career Apprentice students at Pleasant Valley High School have exceeded expectations by collecting way more than the 2,019 boxes of macaroni and cheese they set out to collect.

For the second year the students have teamed up to support the West End Food Pantry in Kunkletown. Last year the students collected over 4,000 cans of tuna fish to help local families fight hunger. This time it’s Mac N Cheese.

“We know that it’s not as nutritional,” Ruschak said. “But I have seen it myself, people at the pantry are looking for it.”

Ruschak said that they will have some recipes available to families at the pantry to make the macaroni and cheese even better.

The goal was to collect 2,019 boxes since Ruschak’s students are graduating in 2019.

“We knew from the beginning we would exceed our goal, especially since all of the schools are helping,” Ruschak said.

Each of the schools had a display. In the first three days, Pleasant Valley Elementary School collected 700 boxes.

The last day for collection is this Friday. Early last week, high school Principal Matthew Triolo took to the airways to encourage students to participate. The following day the school met its goal and the kids were rewarded with a dress-down day.

“We heard from some of the students that the ShopRite had a shortage. The shelves were bare,” said Ruschak.

Ruschak feels that there is more to this than students achieving the goals they set for themselves, it’s about them learning early to give back and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

“We are hoping to make an impact in the community by gathering the mac n’ cheese and maybe make a difference in someone life,” said Trisha Dominick, a senior and president of the FBLA at PVHS.

“I work regularly at the pantry and I have seen in the past the impact our school has made.”

The West End Food Pantry distributes food twice a month at the Eldred Township Community Center in Kunkletown. On any given distribution day you will see a variety of Pleasant Valley students volunteering in various capacities.